Prevalence, Awareness, Treatment and Control of Diabetes Among Iranian Population: Results of the National Cross-Sectional Stepwise Approach to Surveillance Survey Publisher



Abdi Z¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Population Medicine Published:2023

Abstract

Background: Diabetes as a leading cause of death imposes a heavy burden on health systems worldwide. This study investigated the prevalence, awareness, treatment and control of diabetes among Iranian population aged 25 to 65 years at the national level in 2021. Methods: Secondary data analysis was performed using data from a national population-based survey, STEPwise approach to surveillance (STEPS) for non-communicable diseases performed in across the country in both rural and urban areas. The survey had a sample size of 27874 individuals and performed by Iran’s National Institute of Health Research (NIHR). Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and a logistic regression model with odds ratio at a significance level ≤0.5%. Logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic factors (i.e. gender, age, place of residence, wealth quintile and having health insurance) associated with the levels of diabetes mellitus control. Results: The prevalence of diabetes was 14.2% among people with diabetes, 73.2% were aware of their condition and 68.1% were treated for this condition. Almost 27.4% of all diabetic patients had adequate glycemic control. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, there was a significant relationship between female gender, older age, and living in urban areas with controlled diabetes (p<0.001). Conclusions: The prevalence of diabetes in Iran has increased over recent years, which is currently higher than the estimated prevalence of raised blood glucose worldwide. Despite the great awareness of the disease, receiving treatment and effective control of the disease are suboptimal. While several national policies to improve diabetes screening and care have been passed in recent years, it seems large gaps remain in disease detection and treatment. It is suggested that more attention be paid to the treatment and control of diabetes by NCDs national policies to prevent the growing burden associated with the disease. © (2023), (European Publishing). All Rights Reserved.