Demographic stratification of Type 2 diabetes and comorbidities in district healthcare in KwaZulu-Natal

BACKGROUND: Diabetes has been reported as the second leading cause of death and the top leading cause of death amongst women in South Africa; it is important to evaluate any epidemiological or demographic transition related to diabetes. This study evaluated the demographically stratified prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and existing comorbidities amongst an outpatient population in a district healthcare facility in Kwazulu-Natal (KZN). METHODS: This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted at a district hospital, and a retrospective record review of all outpatients who reported to the hospital to be treated for T2DM between the period, August 2018–January 2019, was used. Data, such as age, sex, ethnicity and any coexisting morbidity, were collected from outpatient hospital registers and electronically captured using a record review tool. RESULTS: There were significantly more female patients (3072) compared to male patients (1050) (p < 0.001) with a mean age of 59.21 years. Hypertension (77.9%) and cardiovascular problems (11.16%) were most frequent. Approximately 84% of women presented with T2DM and either one or two morbidities simultaneously. Female patients were at significantly higher risk of presenting with hypertension (odds ratio [OR] = 1.44, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.20;1.71), whilst their risk for cardiovascular problems was significantly lower compared to male patients (OR = 0.67, 95% CI: 0.54;0.83). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of T2DM and comorbidities differed by demographic factors, such as sex, ethnicity and age. There is a need for flexible and adaptive approaches for the prevention and management of T2DM cases in order to allocate medical resources efficiently and according to the true burden of disease because of T2DM complications.