Prevalence and factors associated with impaired fasting glucose among urban women in Burkina Faso

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetes mellitus increases the risk of heart disease by fourfold in women and twofold in men. It is a growing problem in developing countries, including Burkina Faso. Impaired Fasting Glucose (IFG) can predict increased risk for developing diabetes. We determined the proportion of IFG among adult women and identified their risk factors. Method: This was a cross-sectional study of female volunteers over the age of 18 years, recruited from four screening sites that targeted occupational profiles whose lifestyle would be factors influencing IFG, which can predict an increased risk for developing diabetes: university, market, police school, and nursing school. Data were collected in November 2020, in the urban setting of Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. We performed a logistic regression to identify risk factors associated with IFG (blood glucose ≥6.1 mmol/L). Results: 356 women participated in the study at four collection sites. Of these women, 10.1% (36/356; 95% CI: 7.3-13.7) were classified as IFG. The mean age was 28 ±9.3 years, with extremes ranging from 18 to 71 years. IFG represented 46% among women aged 45 to 55 years, 16% among women with abdominal obesity, 19% among women with obesity, 28% among freelance women. In the multivariate analysis, abdominal obesity (aOR=2.6; 95%CI: 1.1-6.2), recruitment at the market site (aOR=10.8; 95%CI: 1.3-86.9) were significantly associated with a higher risk of IFG in women. Conclusion: We observed a higher prevalence and risk of IFG among women recruited from the market setting, where women predominantly engage in activities related to trade or entrepreneurship. Further studies among women working in such settings with this type of socio-professional lifestyle could help to improve the performance of diabetes prevention and control programs in Burkina Faso.