Diabetic microvascular complications among adults with type 2 diabetes in Adama, central Ethiopia

Microvascular complications, affecting small blood vessels, can lead to serious conditions such as kidney failure, painful nerve damage, and vision loss. Early detection and effective treatment of these issues are vital for improving patient outcomes and reducing healthcare expenses. Thus, this study aimed to assess diabetic microvascular complications among adults with type 2 diabetes in Adama, central Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 381 adult type 2 diabetes patients. A computer-generated simple random sampling method was used to select study participants. Data were collected using a structured data extraction checklist. The collected data were entered into Epi info version 7.2 and exported to SPSS version 27 for processing and analysis. Binary logistic regression was employed to model the association between diabetic microvascular complications and explanatory variables. An adjusted odds ratio (AOR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI) was used to estimate the strength of association, and statistical significance was proclaimed at a p-value < 0.05. The prevalence of diabetic microvascular complications was 21.8% (95% CI: 17.8-25.6) with diabetic neuropathy being the most common (16.8%), followed by diabetic retinopathy (4.2%), and diabetic nephropathy (2.9%). Poor glycemic control (AOR = 2.00, 95% CI: 1.01-3.98), and a history of hypertension (AOR = 2.36, 95% CI: 1.39-4.00) were positively associated with the development of diabetic microvascular complications. Conversely, being aged 41-60 years (AOR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.18-0.68) was negatively associated with the development of these complications. About one in five patients developed at least one diabetic microvascular complication. Age, poor glycemic control, and a history of hypertension were associated with the development of these complications. Therefore, intervening to improve glycemic control and manage hypertension is crucial in preventing the onset of diabetic microvascular complications.