Prevalence and risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus in a rural and an urban Nigerian community: Are the demographics changing?

Background The prevalence of Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is increasing at an alarming rate globally and in sub-Saharan Africa, Nigeria inclusive. Previous community-based studies in Nigeria, including studies in Abia State have demonstrated a high prevalence of DM, with no significant difference between the rural and urban areas in the previous study done in Abia State. Objective To evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of DM in urban and rural communities of Abia State, South-Eastern Nigeria. Method A cross-sectional comparative study of 2800 adults, comprising equal numbers of rural and urban residents of Abia State was conducted. Data was obtained using interviewer administered semi-structured questionnaires (Appendix 1). Blood pressure, anthropometric indices and fasting blood glucose were obtained for each of the participants. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. Results The mean age of the respondents was 48.54 ± 13.24 years, with the rural residents being significantly older than the urban, (54.23 ± 14.26 and 42.85 ± 13.24 years, respectively p<0:001). Male to female ratio was 1:2.5, (p<0.001). Diabetes mellitus was observed in 8% of the respondents (urban = 8.9% and rural = 7.2%, p=0.110). Independent predictors of DM in this study included age, family history of DM, daily intake of fruits in processed forms and hypertension in the urban area, while in the rural area are age and family history of DM. Conclusion The prevalence of DM is rising in Abia State, with no significant urban-rural difference as observed in previous studies in the state.