Prevalence, risk factors, and glycaemic control of type 2 diabetes mellitus in eastern Sudan: a community-based study

Background: Diabetes mellitus (DM) constitutes a global health threat and burden, especially in developing countries. We conducted a cross-sectional study in Gadarif in eastern Sudan to evaluate the prevalence and glycaemic control of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods: We performed a cross-sectional community-based study. Data on blood glucose levels, and anthropometric, demographic and clinical history data were obtained. Results: Six hundred Sudanese adults with a mean (SD) age of 44.9 (16.5) years were enrolled. More than two-thirds (70.3%) of the study participants were women. The prevalence of T2DM, newly diagnosed T2DM and uncontrolled T2DM was 20.8%, 10.0% and 80.0%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis showed no significant association between education, marital status, body mass index, waist circumference and DM. However older age (AOR = 4.88, 95% CI = 3.09-7.70) and a family history of DM (AOR = 2.58, 95% CI = 1.59-4.20) were associated with T2DM. Conclusion: The prevalence of T2DM is high among the Sudanese population, especially in older people and those with a family history of DM. The high prevalence of uncontrolled DM in this setting is another hidden burden.