The prevalence and risk factors among people with diabetes mellitus in a selected rural community of kerala

The recent statistics of India in 2023 suggest a prevalence of 10.1 crores of diabetes in the community, with three in four adults with diabetes living in low- and middle-income countries, and half of them are unaware of their condition. This study aims to assess the prevalence of diabetes mellitus among people in a selected rural community and to identify the risk factors among people with diabetes mellitus. A quantitative research approach with a descriptive, cross-sectional study design was adopted. The participants were 824 adults, males, and females, aged above 21 years, and selected using a convenience sampling method. Data was collected from two selected wards of Athirampuzha panchayat, Kottayam, Kerala. Data were collected from a larger survey conducted in this area. The tool used was a structured questionnaire with three parts: a socio-demographic tool, lifestyle-related factors, and a specific part for collecting diabetes-related information. The results indicated that nearly 15.90% of the population had diabetes mellitus (n=131), and majority were above above 50 years. A majority of the diabetes-affected people were females (n 69, 52.67%), married (n= 104, 79.39%), unemployed (n =76, 58.02%), homemakers (n=72, 54.96%), and belonged to nuclear families (n=81, 61.83%). Most of them have been diagnosed with diabetes mellitus for the past 5-10 years and are on treatment with oral hypoglycemic agents (n=107, 81.68%). About 32% of them had familial risk factors (n=42). Among the comorbid conditions, 41.98% (n= 55) had hypertension. A majority of the participants were having a BMI above normal (51.15%, n-= 67, BMI=25.0 -29.9) and were following sedentary lifestyle habits (n=113, 86.26%). : The study highlight the importance of targeting the lifestyle risk factors for preventing diabetes mellitus in the community at an early stage.