Prevalence of Cognitive Impairment and Associated Factors Among Diabetes Mellitus Patients Attending Follow-up Treatment at Fiche General Hospital, North Ethiopia

Abstract

Introduction Cognitive impairment is having trouble remembering, learning new things, concentrating, or making decisions that affect the daily life of diabetic patients. The worldwide prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM) was 2.8% in 2000 and is estimated to be 4.4% by 2030. Objective To assess the prevalence of cognitive impairment and associated factors among DM patients attending follow-up treatment at Fiche General Hospital, North Ethiopia, 2022. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 15 to September 15, 2022. The total sample size was 421 and a systematic random sampling technique was used. Data were collected through a face-to-face interview. Data were entered using EpiData Version 3.1 and exported to SPSS Version 24 for analysis. Statistically significant was declared at a P-value of less than .05 with an adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Result The prevalence of cognitive impairment in the current study was 56.3% with (95% CI: 51.5–60.8). Primary educational status (AOR 6.73, 95% CI: 2.92–15.51), having Type II DM (AOR 4.93, 95% CI: 2.84–8.56), uncontrolled blood sugar (AOR 6.24, 95% CI: 3.84–10.17), and current alcohol use (AOR 1.94, 95% CI: 1.11–3.36) were significantly associated. Conclusion About three in 5 DM patients attending follow-up treatment at Fiche General Hospital were suffering from cognitive impairment. Educational status, type of DM, status of fasting blood sugar, and current alcohol use were associated with cognitive impairment among DM patients. Therefore, improving educational status, controlling blood sugar, and avoiding alcohol use may reduce the risk of cognitive impairment in DM patients.