Urban and rural prevalence of diabetes and prediabetes and risk factors associated with diabetes in Tanzania and Uganda
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Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Global Health Action
Abstract
The increase in prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in sub-Saharan Africa underlines the
importance of understanding its magnitude and causes in different population groups. We analyzed data
from the Africa/Harvard Partnership for Cohort Research and Training (PaCT) studies to determine the
prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes and risk factors associated with diabetes.
Methodology: Participants were randomly selected from peri-urban (n 297) and rural (n 200) communities
in Uganda, and teachers were recruited from schools (n 229) in urban Tanzania. We used a standardized
questionnaire to collect socio-demographic and self-reported disease status including diabetes status. Blood
glucose was also measured after participants fasted for 8 h. We used standard protocols for anthropometric
and blood pressure measurement.
Results: The overall prevalence of diabetes was 10.1% and was highest in rural Ugandan residents (16.1%)
compared to teachers in Tanzania (8.3%) and peri-urban Ugandan residents (7.6%). The prevalence of prediabetes
was 13.8%. The prevalence of self-reported diabetes was low across all sites, where 68% of participants
with diabetes were not captured by self-report. In multivariable logistic regression analysis, family history (OR
2.5, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.6) and hypertension (OR 2.3, 95% CI: 1.1, 5.2) were significantly associated with diabetes.
Conclusions: The prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in Uganda and Tanzania is high, differs markedly
between population groups, and remains undiagnosed in an alarmingly high proportion of individuals. These
findings highlight the need for large-scale, prospective studies to accurately quantify the burden and identify
effective intervention and treatment strategies across diverse African populations.
Description
Keywords
Non-communicable, Risk factors, Underdiagnoses, Sub-Saharan Africa, Tanzania, Uganda
Citation
Faraja S. Chiwanga, Marina A. Njelekela, Megan B. Diamond, Francis Bajunirwe, David Guwatudde, Joan Nankya-Mutyoba, Robert Kalyesubula, Clement Adebamowo, IkeOluwapo Ajayi, Todd G. Reid, Jimmy Volmink, Carien Laurence, Hans-Olov Adami, Michelle D. Holmes & Shona Dalal (2016) Urban and rural prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes and risk factors associated with diabetes in Tanzania and Uganda, Global Health Action, 9:1, 31440, DOI: 10.3402/gha.v9.31440