Indian Journal of Public Health (Jan 2022)

Glycemic control and its determinants among people with type 2 diabetes mellitus in Ernakulam district, Kerala

  • Shana Shirin Najeeb,
  • Teena Mary Joy,
  • Aswathy Sreedevi,
  • K Vijayakumar,
  • Syama,
  • Glycaemic Control and Determinants Team

DOI
https://doi.org/10.4103/ijph.ijph_1104_22
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 66, no. 5
pp. 80 – 86

Abstract

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Background: Diabetes is a public health problem of colossal proportions. The National Family Health Survey 5 (2019–2020) has found high blood sugar levels among 13.5% of women and 15.6% of men in India. The high morbidity and mortality in diabetes mellitus are due to uncontrolled hyperglycemia resulting in micro- and macrovascular changes affecting multiple organs in the body. The objectives of this study were to estimate glycemic control and its determinants among type 2 diabetics in the Ernakulam district. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 364 type 2 diabetics who had the disease for at least 5 years duration in the Ernakulam district of Kerala. Probability proportional to size cluster sampling technique was adopted. A semi-structured questionnaire was used to collect sociodemographic and behavioral profiles. Participants' HbA1c levels were assessed to determine glycemic control. Results: The proportion of people with good glycemic control was 21.4%. Determinants such as female gender adjusted odds ratio (aOR = 2.36, P = 0.005), body mass index >23 kg/m2 (aOR = 2.71, P = 0.002), combined drug treatment with Oral Hypoglycaemic agents (OHA) and insulin (aOR = 3.76, P = 0.004), and poor compliance with medications (aOR = 1.93, P = 0.030) were found to be significantly associated with poor glycemic control. Conclusions: Poor compliance with medications and unhealthy lifestyle choices has resulted in a high proportion of diabetics with poor glycemic control in the district. Women are particularly more vulnerable to uncontrolled hyperglycemia than males. Type 2 diabetes mellitus people should be encouraged to maintain strict glycemic control, which is an important measure for secondary prevention of complications.

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