Prevalence of prediabetes and its associated risk factors among rural adults in Tamil Nadu

Abstract

Background: Considerable number of people in the prediabetic stage will go on to develop type 2 diabetes. Early diagnosis and intervention of prediabetic and their cluster of risk factors can prevent the cardiovascular events and other complications of diabetes. Objectives: To estimate the prevalence of prediabetes and associated factors among adults attending fixed mobile clinic in a rural block in Tamil Nadu. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 544 individuals over the age of 20 years through our fixed mobile clinic among 30 villages of a block in Tamil Nadu with a structured interview schedule. Results: A total of 544 participants above the age of 20 years were studied of which 72.6% were women and 27.4% were men. The prevalence of prediabetes was 8.5% and diabetes was 10.1%. Higher risk of being prediabetic and diabetic was noted above the age of 40 years (odds ratio [OR] = 7.79, 2.17), male gender (OR = 1.46, 2.34), body mass index of more than 23 kg/m 2 (OR = 1.52, 2.13), waist hip ratio of men >1 and women >0.8 (OR = 1.49, 2.28), alcohol intake (OR = 1.59, 2.45), and systolic blood pressure of more than 140 mm of Hg (OR = 2.23 and 2.15). Conclusion: Identifying people with prediabetes and creating awareness on the prevention of diabetes by lifestyle modification and development of cost-effective strategy to prevent or delay the progression of the prediabetic stage to diabetic stage is the need of the hour for the prevention of diabetes in country like India.