A Community-Based Survey on Diabetes Mellitus at Mile One Market, Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Abstract

Background: Diabetes mellitus remains a major public health concern, with multiple demographic, blood glucose, and lifestyle factors contributing to its risk. The associations between diabetes risk and various parameters, including age, sex, occupation, residence, alcohol consumption, and body mass index (BMI) were examined, while assessing correlations between blood glucose and cardiovascular markers. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among consenting adult Nigerians, with fasting blood glucose (FBG), random blood glucose (RBG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), BMI, and waist-to-hip ratio measured. Statistical analyses included correlation tests, regression modelling, and significance testing to evaluate associations between diabetes risk and predictor variables. Results: The total number of participants was 95. Age was significantly associated with diabetes risk (p = 0.007), with individuals aged 41–60 years and >60 years more frequently classified as pre-diabetic or diabetic. However, sex, occupation, residence, alcohol consumption, and BMI were not significantly associated with diabetes risk (p > 0.05). Most participants in all glucose categories were traders (90.5%), suggesting limited occupational variability because of the study site. There were no significant differences in FBG (p = 0.51), RBG (p = 0.45), SBP (p = 0.42), DBP (p = 0.26), or BMI (p = 0.18). However, waist-to-hip ratio differed significantly between sexes (p = 0.04), with males exhibiting higher values (1.02 ± 0.005) than females (1.00 ± 0.005). Age was positively correlated with FBG (r = 0.27, p < 0.05), SBP (r = 0.40, p < 0.01), DBP (r = 0.45, p < 0.01), and BMI (r = 0.23, p < 0.05). Regression analysis showed no significant predictors of FBG, though SBP and DBP exhibited the strongest, albeit non-significant, associations. Conclusion: Age emerged as a key factor in diabetes risk, while other demographic and blood glucose variables showed weaker associations. Future research should explore additional covariates and diverse populations to enhance understanding of blood glucose health determinants.