Prediabetes, undiagnosed diabetes, and associated factors in North Sumatra, Indonesia: A community-based study
Abstract
Diabetes causes disability, morbidity, and cost burden. It develops faster in individuals with prediabetes. Approximately 50% of patients with diabetes remain undiagnosed until physical complications appear. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes based on fasting blood glucose levels and associated factors in a community in Indonesia. This community-based cross-sectional study applied the convenience sampling technique. Participants included 412 adults without a history of type 2 diabetes. The fasting blood sugar levels of the respondents were measured after fasting for at least eight hours. The American Diabetes Association guidelines were followed to identify individuals with prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes. The study results revealed a 27% prevalence of prediabetes and a 20% prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes in the respondents. The bivariate analysis did not show any significant difference between the risks of normoglycemia and prediabetes. However, three significantly different diabetes risk variables were identified between normoglycemia and undiagnosed diabetes: age, having experienced elevated blood glucose levels during a health check-up, and having a family member who has diabetes (p<0.05). The incidences of prediabetes and undiagnosed diabetes were high among the study population. Therefore, efforts should be made to prevent the development of prediabetes into diabetes and to manage individuals with undiagnosed diabetes to reduce its prevalence and complications in the future.