Melba Sheila D’souza, Ramesh Venkatesaperumal, Subrahmanya Nairy Karkada and Anandhi Amirtharaj
Purpose: The purpose of this study is to assess the determinants of demographic and clinical factors associated with HbA1C levels among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in Muscat. Glycosylated Hemoglobin (HbA1C) is used as marker for long term blood glucose control in adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus.
Methods: A cross-sectional design was used. Simple random sampling was used to select 300 adults with T2DM in Oman in 2011. Ethical approval and hospital permission was completed from the Institutional Research and Ethics Committee. Informed consent was obtained from the participants. Chi-square and multiple logistic regression models with demographic and clinical characteristics as predictors of glycemic control (HbA1C) were used to analyze the results. Results: Nearly half percentage of the adults with T2DM had better or controlled HbA1C (<7%) while the rest had poor or uncontrolled HbA1C (>7%). Younger ages, females, higher education, non-tobacco users, short duration of diabetes, compliance with OHA and high waist-hip ratio predicted better control of HbA1C.
Conclusions: Socio-demographic and clinical factors were consistently associated with glycemic control. Gender, education, perception of prevention of ADL, doctor-patient relationship, compliance with medications, and non-tobacco users were significant predictors of better glycemic controls among adults with T2DM. Relevance to clinical practice. Assessment of determinants of HbA1C may assist in determining individualized goals and strategies, subsequently improve glycemic control and enhance self-care management.