CHRONIC COMPLICATIONS AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS AMONG TYPE-2 DIABETES MELLITUS PATIENTS AT WOLAITA SODO UNIVERSITY COMPREHENSIVE SPECIALIZED HOSPITAL, SOUTH

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a chronic condition associated with numerous complications that significantly affect patients' quality of life and healthcare costs. Understanding the factors contributing to the development of complications is crucial for effective management and prevention strategies. Objective: This study aimed to assess the number of chronic complications and associated factors among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, South Ethiopia, 2024. Methods: A facility-based cross-sectional quantitative study was conducted from June 1 to July 30th, 2024, at Wolaita Sodo University Comprehensive Specialized Hospital. A single population proportion was used to calculate 414 patients as a final sample size and participants were selected using a convenience sampling technique during the data collection period. Data including sociodemographic, chronic complications, clinical characteristics, and self-care practices was collected from patient medical records and interviews. Data was entered into EPI Data Manager and analysis was performed using R Studio 4.4.0, with descriptive statistics summarizing the characteristics of the study population. Bivariate and multivariable Poisson regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with the number of chronic complications, and the results were reported as Incidence Rate Ratios (IRR) with a 95% Confidence Interval, considering p-values < 0.05 as significant. Results: Among 404 patients studied, 51.98% (95% CI: 46.98, 56.93) developed at least one chronic complication. Among those, 21.29%, 9.16%, and 2.48% had developed one, two, three, and four complications respectively. The most common microvascular complications were peripheral neuropathy (12.62%) and nephropathy (8.91%), while hypertension (33.42%) and heart failure (13.61%) were the leading macrovascular complications. The multivariable Poisson regression analysis identified older age (IRR = 2.30; 95% CI: 1.23, 4.28), longer duration of diabetes (IRR = 1.87; 95% CI: 1.28, 2.76), raised blood pressure (IRR = 2.02; 95% CI: 1.21, 3.37), and obesity (IRR=2.63; 95% CI: 1.43, 4.81) as significant factors associated with an increased incidence of complications. Conclusion: There is a significant burden of chronic complications among type-2 diabetes mellitus patients in South Ethiopia. Interventions that focus on risk factors to reduce the incidence of complications and improve the quality of life for DM patients are needed