Abstract
Aims This study is aimed at estimating the prevalence, awareness, treatment, and glycemic control of diabetes mellitus (DM) and its associated factors in an Iranian Kurdish population. Methods Baseline data of the Ravansar Non-communicable Disease (RaNCD) cohort study, consisting of adults aged 35-65 years, were used. Diabetes was defined as a fasting plasma glucose (FPG) of 126 mg/dl or higher, being on diabetes medication, and/or diabetes confirmed by a health practitioner. Results Nine thousand nine hundred ninety-nine participants were assigned to this study. The prevalence of DM, awareness, treatment, and glycemic control of DM were 8.19, 74.97, 74.75, and 32.68, respectively. Based on the adjusted models, increased age (p < 0.01); obesity or overweight (p < 0.01); being ex-smoker (p < 0.05); suffering from dyslipidemia (p < 0.01), hypertension (p < 0.01), or both of them (p < 0.01); and positive family history in the first-degree relatives (p < 0.01) were strongly associated with a high risk of DM, while engagement in regular physical activity (p < 0.05) was a protective factor. Female gender (p < 0.01), being older than 55 years, positive family history in the first-degree relatives (p < 0.01), suffering from both hypertension and dyslipidemia (p < 0.01), and obesity or overweight (p < 0.005) were negatively associated with DM awareness. Being married and widowed (p < 0.05 and <0.05) and a high BMI (p < 0.01) were strong predictors of receiving treatment for DM. Six to nine years of schooling (p < 0.05) and suffering from hypertension (p < 0.05) increased the probability of DM being controlled. Conclusions When the prevalence of DM is notable, awareness and probability of receiving treatment and controlling FPG are of particular importance. A considerable proportion of the patients were aware and on treatment, which may partly be due to improving primary health care services in Iran.
Highlights
IntroductionThe prevalence of Diabetes mellitus (DM) in adults is on the rise
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the main health challenges worldwide
Based on the DM definition given above, the prevalence of diabetes was 8.19%
Summary
The prevalence of DM in adults is on the rise. Around 6.4% of adults are suffering from DM, and it is estimated to rise to 7.7% by 2030 mainly due to increasing burden of its related risk factors [1]. Based on the latest result of a nationwide survey conducted in 2011, around 11.4% of Iranian adults are suffering from DM. The prevalence of DM increased by 35% in Journal of Diabetes Research comparison to that in 2005 [2]. It is projected that the number of diabetic patients in Iran will probably rise to ten million by 2030 [3]. The prevalence of DM risk factors has risen considerably [4]. Results of repeated surveys of noncommunicable disease risk factors revealed that more than half of Iranian adults aged 45-64 years had at least three risk factors for DM such as smoking, overweight or obesity, eating inadequate fruits and vegetables, hypertension, and low physical activity [2]
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