Red Cell Indices-Based Morphological Patterns of Anemia and Associated Factors Among Adults With Diabetes Mellitus: A Cross-Sectional Study at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital, Uganda.
Source: PubMed, NCBI / U.S. National Library of Medicine
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health concern, and anemia is a common but often overlooked complication that can worsen fatigue, quality of life, and clinical outcomes. In Uganda, where diabetes is increasing, evidence on red cell indices-based anemia patterns among adults with DM remains limited. We determined the prevalence, anemia subtypes, and associated factors among adults with DM at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study among consecutively recruited adults with DM ( = 246) at MRRH. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire and physical examination. Hemoglobin was measured using an automated hematology analyzer. Anemia was defined using the World Health Organization cutoffs, and anemia subtypes were classified by mean corpuscular volume (microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic). Data were analyzed in STATA 15.1. Logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with anemia;< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of anemia was 28.0% (69/246; 95% CI: 22.8%-34.3%). Among anemic participants, normocytic anemia was most common (76.81%; 95% CI: 66.85%-86.77%), followed by microcytic anemia (13.04%; 95% CI: 5.10%-20.98%) and macrocytic anemia (10.14%; 95% CI: 3.02%-17.27%). In multivariable analysis, older age (> 60 years) (AOR = 5.17,= 0.022), neuropathy (AOR = 4.97,<
Abstract
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a major public health concern, and anemia is a common but often overlooked complication that can worsen fatigue, quality of life, and clinical outcomes. In Uganda, where diabetes is increasing, evidence on red cell indices-based anemia patterns among adults with DM remains limited. We determined the prevalence, anemia subtypes, and associated factors among adults with DM at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH). We conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study among consecutively recruited adults with DM ( = 246) at MRRH. Sociodemographic and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire and physical examination. Hemoglobin was measured using an automated hematology analyzer. Anemia was defined using the World Health Organization cutoffs, and anemia subtypes were classified by mean corpuscular volume (microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic). Data were analyzed in STATA 15.1. Logistic regression was used to identify factors independently associated with anemia;< 0.05 was considered statistically significant. The prevalence of anemia was 28.0% (69/246; 95% CI: 22.8%-34.3%). Among anemic participants, normocytic anemia was most common (76.81%; 95% CI: 66.85%-86.77%), followed by microcytic anemia (13.04%; 95% CI: 5.10%-20.98%) and macrocytic anemia (10.14%; 95% CI: 3.02%-17.27%). In multivariable analysis, older age (> 60 years) (AOR = 5.17,= 0.022), neuropathy (AOR = 4.97,< 0.001), diabetes duration > 5 years (AOR = 2.25,= 0.045), obesity (AOR = 5.94,= 0.049), and poor glycemic control (AOR = 2.96,= 0.002) were independently associated with anemia. Anemia was common among adults with DM at MRRH, with normocytic anemia as the predominant red cell indices-based subtype. Routine anemia screening should be integrated into diabetes care, with further etiologic evaluation (e.g., iron studies, vitamin B12/folate, and renal markers) where feasible.