Prevalence and Predictors of Glycemic Control among Diabetic Patients in in Lalitpur, Nepal

Abstract

Background: Diabetes Mellitus is a growing public health concern. Despite advancements in treatment, prevalence of uncontrolled diabetes continues to rise. Hence, this study aimed to find out prevalence of glycemic control and its predictors among diabetic patients.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Lalitpur. Diabetic patients aged 18 years or older, on treatment for more than three months, and with HbA1c test within last three months were included. Data were collected through interviews using semi-structured questionnaire based on WHO Stepwise approach. Total 212 participants were selected through convenience sampling. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and logistic regression.
Results: More than half of the participants were middle-aged (53.77%) and female (51.89%), with 82.08% residing in urban areas. Most of participants (93.87%) had Type 2 diabetes. Nearly all participants (99.52%) were on oral antidiabetic drugs, while 9.43% also received insulin therapy. Overall, 67% had poor glycemic control (HbA1c ?7%), and 33% had good control (HbA1c <7%). Poor control was significantly associated with current residence, duration of diagnosis, duration of treatment, insulin therapy, and blood pressure. Regression analysis showed that rural residents had 2.54 times higher odds of poor glycemic control (p = 0.04), and participants with uncontrolled blood pressure were 2.47 times more likely to have poor glycemic control (p = 0.03).
Conclusions: Two thirds of participants had poor glycemic control, highlighting the need for targeted interventions, particularly for rural residents and those with uncontrolled blood pressure to prevent diabetes related complications.
Keywords: Diabetes; glycemic control; Nepal.