RISK FACTORS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES MELLITUS IN THE RURAL POPULATION OF NORTH KERALA, INDIA: A CASE CONTROL STUDY

摘要

The aim of the study was to assess the risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in rural population of North Kerala, India. The study included 100 T2DM cases randomly selected among patients with diabetes admitted to medicine ward and 200 controls without DM recruited from visitors and patient attendants at a tertiary care centre in the northern part of Kerala, India. A questionnaire that contained sociodemographic characteristics and risk factors was used for data collection. ANOVA was performed to find the significance of more than two means. Simple binary logistic regression and multiple binary logistic regression were performed to find the crude and adjusted odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to find the significance of the observed OR. A p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Study results showed those above 50 years of age to have five times more chance to get diabetes when compared with those in the 20-30 age group. Gender and religion did not show any statistically significant association with diabetes. Physical activity was observed as a protective factor for the development of DM. Hypertension, especially systolic hypertension, emerged as a strong risk factor for T2DM in this study. Subjects with systolic hypertension had 4.6-fold chance to develop T2DM, making it mandatory to screen all patients with hypertension above 25 years of age for T2DM irrespective of the presence of other risk factors. In conclusion, results of the present study will be of use in planning primordial, primary and secondary measures of prevention at the community level.