A Descriptive Study to Assess the Prevalence of Fungal Infections among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus and Hypertension and Their Risk Factors in a Community of Delhi

Introduction: Diabetic patients are at higher risk of various healthproblemsincluding fungal infections. Fungal infections are taken lessseriously but if not identified and treated promptly, may lead to resistantinfections, further complications and impaired quality of life.Objectives: To assess the prevalence of fungal infections among diabeticpatients and risk factors of hypertension and diabetes mellitusMethods: A descriptive survey research design was used. The study wasconducted among people residing in a selected area of Delhi. A purposivesampling technique was used to collect 313 samples. A structuredinterview schedule was used to collect the data,. Permission wasobtained from local authorities. An informed consent was obtained priorto study participation. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics.Results: 28.1% of people are suffering from diabetes, and out of thoseonly 88.6 % of people are taking medication. A total of 90.9% of diabeticparticipants had a fungal infection. Out of that, 18.7 % had fungalinfections more than once a month,33.7 % were not taking any treatmentfor fungal infection, 31.2% were taking home and natural remedies,22.5 % were using topical antifungal creams (some containing steroids)or suppositories and 12.5% were taking oral anti-fungal medication.Conclusion: Diabetic patients have increased susceptibility to variousinfections, including fungal infections emphasising the need forcomprehensive research and effective management strategies. Thisstudy highlights the need for effective preventive strategieswhich couldsignificantly reduce healthcare costs and improve patients’ quality of life. How to cite this article:John N, Rani S, Bhattarcharya S, Negi A. ADescriptive Study to Assess the Prevalence ofFungal Infections among Patients with DiabetesMellitus and Hypertension and Their RiskFactors in a Community of Delhi. J CommunDis. 2025;57(1):1-8. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202501