Hossain Ahmed, Suhel Shakib Ahmed, Islam Shofiqul, Dhor Nipa Rani, Akther Nayma, Sanjoy Shubrandu Sutradhar, Chowdhury Saifur Rahman
College of Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Department of Public Health, North South University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
PLoS One. 2025 Apr 2;20(4):e0321069. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0321069. eCollection 2025.
While undiagnosed diabetes mellitus (DM) presents a substantial global concern, there is a dearth of research examining its prevalence and characteristics specifically within the regional context of Bangladesh. The study focused on assessing the prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes mellitus in Bangladesh and examining regional disparities.
The study analyzed data from the Bangladesh Demographic and Health Survey conducted between 2017 and 2018. The analysis focused on 11,911 participants aged 18 and above. Prevalence rates of both diagnosed and undiagnosed DM were calculated across various demographic and regional factors. To understand the impact of socio-demographic and regional variables on diagnosed and undiagnosed DM, the study employed multinomial regression analysis.
The study encompassed 11,911 participants with an average age of 39, of whom 57% were females. Among them, 333 individuals (2.8%) were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus (DM), while 667 participants (5.6%) had undiagnosed DM. The prevalence of both diagnosed and undiagnosed DM was notably higher in elderly, hypertensive, overweight or obese, and rural residents. Regression analysis indicated that individuals aged 70 and above faced 2.14 times more likely of diagnosed diabetes compared to those aged 30-39 (RRR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.35-3.58). Regarding residential regions, individuals from the city exhibited significantly higher prevalence rates for both diagnosed DM (RRR: 1.83; 95% CI = 1.31-2.57) and undiagnosed DM (RRR: 1.52; 95% CI = 1.18-1.95) compared to those from the rural of Bangladesh.
The high prevalence of undiagnosed DM in city areas suggests potential shortcomings in routine diabetes screening practices. Prioritizing screening, particularly for high-risk groups like older adults, individuals with elevated BMI, hypertension, and urban residents from the central region of the country, is crucial. These groups have elevated diabetes risk and face higher complications without timely detection and treatment. To address this issue, collaborative efforts among the Bangladeshi government, healthcare providers, and community organizations are imperative.
未诊断出的糖尿病是一个重大的全球问题，但在孟加拉国地区范围内，专门研究其患病率和特征的研究却很匮乏。该研究聚焦于评估孟加拉国未诊断出的糖尿病的患病率，并考察地区差异。
该研究分析了2017年至2018年期间进行的孟加拉国人口与健康调查的数据。分析集中在11911名18岁及以上的参与者。计算了在各种人口统计学和地区因素下已诊断和未诊断糖尿病的患病率。为了解社会人口统计学和地区变量对已诊断和未诊断糖尿病的影响，该研究采用了多项回归分析。
该研究涵盖了11911名平均年龄为39岁的参与者，其中57%为女性。其中，333人（2.8%）被诊断患有糖尿病，而667名参与者（5.6%）患有未诊断出的糖尿病。已诊断和未诊断糖尿病在老年人、高血压患者、超重或肥胖者以及农村居民中的患病率明显更高。回归分析表明，70岁及以上的人被诊断患有糖尿病的可能性是30 - 39岁人群的2.14倍（相对风险比 = 2.20；95%置信区间 = 1.35 - 3.58）。在居住地区方面，与孟加拉国农村地区的人相比，城市地区的人已诊断糖尿病（相对风险比：1.83；95%置信区间 = 1.31 - 2.57）和未诊断糖尿病（相对风险比：1.52；95%置信区间 = 1.18 - 1.95）的患病率均显著更高。
城市地区未诊断糖尿病的高患病率表明常规糖尿病筛查实践可能存在不足。优先进行筛查，特别是针对老年人、体重指数升高者、高血压患者以及该国中部地区的城市居民等高风险群体至关重要。这些群体糖尿病风险较高，若不及时发现和治疗，面临更高的并发症风险。为解决这一问题，孟加拉国政府、医疗服务提供者和社区组织之间的合作努力势在必行。
