Glycemic control and determinants among type 2 diabetes mellitus in a regional hospital in South West Region, Cameroon

Abstract

BACKGROUND The global prevalence of diabetes among adults aged 29-79 years was found to be 10.5%. It is a global public health threat with a rising trend in morbidity and mortality. Poor glycemic control (GC) among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major determinant of diabetes-related complications. There are limited data on GC and associated factors among patients with T2DM in South West Region, Cameroon. AIM To assess GC and identify contributing factors among patients with T2DM in a regional hospital in South West Region, Cameroon. METHODS A cross-sectional study was conducted from February 2022 to July 2022 among 131 participants in Limbe Regional Hospital who were selected by convenience. Glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) was measured by ion-exchange chromatography. Sociodemographic, clinical, and lifestyle data were collected, entered into Excel, and exported to Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 22 for analysis. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to assess the association between explanatory variables and GC. The level of significance was set at P < 0.05. RESULTS The mean age was 56 ± 5.1 years. Eighty-eight (67.2%) patients were female. The mean HbA1c was 8.8% ± 1.8%. Poor GC (HbA1c ≥ 7%) was registered in 106 (80.9%; 95% confidence interval: 73.1%-87.3%) participants. Lack of self-monitoring of blood glucose at home was associated with poor GC (adjusted odds ratio: 3.858, 95% confidence interval: 1.262-11.800; P = 0.018). CONCLUSION The majority of patients with T2DM had poor GC. Absence of self-monitoring of blood glucose at home was the main contributing factor for poor GC.