Determinants of diabetic nephropathy in Ayder Referral Hospital, Northern Ethiopia: A case-control study

BACKGROUND: Diabetic nephropathy is the most serious complication of diabetes which leads to end-stage renal failure and other complication of diabetes mellitus. Determinants of Diabetic nephropathy are not consistent in different studies and associated factors to chronic complications of diabetes are not specific and there are limited studies specific to diabetic nephropathy. Thus, the aim of this study is to identify determinants of diabetic nephropathy in Ayder Referral Hospital, Northern Ethiopia. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted from February 14 to May 8 2016. Diabetic patients who developed nephropathy in the last two years were the cases and diabetic patients free of nephropathy were controls. Cases and controls were identified detailed review of the chronic care follow up chart. Then simple random sampling was used to select sample of 420 (with control to case ratio of 4:1) resulting in 84 cases and 336 controls. Record review and interviewer administered questionnaire were used to collect data. Data was coded and entered in to Epi-Data version 3.1 and then exported to STATA 12 for analysis. Variables with P-values< 0.25 in Bivariate logistic regression were selected for multiple logistic regressions to determine independent determinants of diabetic nephropathy. OR was calculated with 95% CI to show strength of association. RESULT: The mean age (±Standard deviation) for the cases and the controls were 52(SD: ±1.34) and 42.4(SD: ±0.8) respectively. In multiple logistic regressions age of patient (AOR: 1.037 95%CI: 1.01–1.064), duration of diabetes after diagnosis (AOR for one year increase: 1.09 95%CI: 1.036–1.15), not-adhered to blood glucose measurement at home (AOR: 6.81 95%CI: 1.15–40.24), having Systolic Hypertension (AOR;2.13 (1.002–4.51), poor glycemic control (AOR;2.71 95%CI: (1.49–4.95), being overweight(AOR;2.7(1.47–4.96) were the independent predictors of diabetic nephropathy. CONCLUSION: In the light of these findings, targeted interventions should be designed at the follow up clinic to address the risk of developing diabetic nephropathy among the risk groups.