Prevalence of pre-diabetes and its associated risk factors among people in rural field practice area of Vydehi Institute of Medical Sciences and Research Centre, Bangalore

Background: India harbours a significant diabetic population, with over 60 million adults affected, a substantial proportion of whom remain undiagnosed or untreated, elevating the risk of complications and premature mortality. Identifying prediabetes and advocating lifestyle modifications become imperative in such a scenario. This research aimed to gauge the prevalence of prediabetes and associated factors among adults in the rural field practice area of Vydehi institute of medical sciences and research centre, Bengaluru. Methods: A cross-sectional study targeted individuals above 30 years in Vydehi institute of medical sciences and research centre's rural field practice area. A house-to-house survey screened for prediabetes. Results: Among 895 subjects, 128 (14.3%) exhibited prediabetic conditions. Prediabetes was notably prevalent in the 36-40 age group (18.8%), with 52.3% being males. A majority (77.4%) lacked a family history of diabetes, and 62.5% belonged to the lower-middle class. Sedentary lifestyles were prevalent (83.6%), with 83.6% consuming mixed diets. Elevated BMI was common, and a statistically significant association existed between BMI, waist circumference, and prediabetes (p<0.05). Similarly, education level significantly correlated with blood glucose control (p<0.01). Merely 7.0% of subjects were aware of prediabetes, mainly through health personnel. Conclusions: The study highlights a high prediabetes prevalence, coupled with low awareness and knowledge of blood sugar control. It underscores the necessity for strategic screening and intervention programs in the community to forestall prediabetes progression to diabetes.