WORLD JOURNAL OF ADVANCE
HEALTHCARE RESEARCH

Vincent C. C. N., Ibebuike J., Onyeneke, J. U., Nwugo U., Ibekwe N., Ezebunwa M. and Obeagu Emmanuel Ifeanyi*

ABSTRACT

Diabetes mellitus is a silent killer. Diabetes affects people worldwide and poses major public health and socio economic challenges. The study revealed a high prevalence (40.9%) of diabetes mellitus. There was significant association between the prevalence of diabetes mellitus and the following factors; age group, obesity, alcohol consumption, tobacco consumption and high blood pressure (X2=79.77, 109.03,73., 29.48, and 76.22; P< 0.05) respectively. Although prevalence of diabetes mellitus were more in females (43.3%) than males (36.6%) but was not significantly associated (X2= 1.67; P> 0.05). The objective of the study is to determine the prevalence of diabetes and its predicators in Ifakala community, Mbaitoli LGA Imo State. It was a descriptive cross sectional community based study. Data for this analysis was collected from March -August 2019 from a population based of sample 403 out of 29,773 of total population. Demographic information, capillary blood glucose, blood pressure, weight and height, history was taken and recorded. The prevalence of hyperglycemia was 40.9%. The prevalence of diabetes was predominant among individuals age 50 years and below (77.6%). In this study, there were more female respondents (54.5%) than male respondents (45.5) with diabetes mellitus. According to this study 295 respondents (73.2) had normal weight, 77 respondents (19.1%) had over weight, 25 respondents (6.2%) were obese. Other studies have shown that individuals that are obese are at more risk of diabetes mellitus than those with normal weight. The study shows high prevalence of Diabetes mellitus among people of Ifakala. There is need for diabetes mellitus to be promoted with the aim to identify people with diabetes in other communities at earlier stage and provide prompt and adequate medical treatment.