Prevalence of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus among People Attending Medical Camp in a Community Hospital

INTRODUCTION: Diabetes is a health problem on the rise in developing countries like Nepal. Often in the suburban and rural areas, patients are diagnosed in the late stages with complications. The aim of this study is to find out the prevalence of diabetes type 2 in a community hospital of Nepal. METHODS: This is a descriptive cross-sectional study done in a community hospital from January to March of 2019 after ethical clearance (Registration number: 150320192) from the institutional review committee of Kathmandu Medical College. Convenient sampling technique was used. Glucometer using glucose sticks is used to measure random blood sugar level and relevant questions were asked in a short interview. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 20 version. RESULTS: Out of a total of 114 people, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was 5 (4.38%). Among those 5 (4.385%) people with type 2 diabetes mellitus, 2 (1.75%) were female and 3 (2.63%) were male. The minimum age of the patient was 17 years and the maximum age was 92 years. Five out of 95 patients with mild physical activity had random blood sugar more than 200 mg/dl and five out of 46 alcoholic patients had random blood sugar levels more than 200 mg/dl. Only 1 out of 26 smokers had a random blood sugar level of more than 200 mg/dl. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of diabetes mellitus type 2 in our study population is quite high. Early detection of diabetes mellitus type 2 can be a good screening tool for early treatment and prevention of complications.