An Analysis of Demographic and Occupational Categories at Risk of Diabetes in Metropolitan Kano, Nigeria

Abstract

This study is aimed to analyze the influence of age, sex and occupational categories as risk factors of diabetes mellitus in Kano Metropolitan Kano, Nigeria. The study was conducted from January, 1^st 2005 to December 31^st 2014 covering the period of about ten years and examined a total of 8126 diabetic case files. Purposive sampling was used in selecting the facilities. A total of four health facilities were identified and selected for the purpose of this study. The facilities are Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital MMSH, Muhammad Abdullahi Wase University Teaching Hospital, Sheikh Muhammad NJidda General Hospital and Waziri Shehu Gidado General Hospital. The following data were sourced from the case files: date admitted in to the facility, occupation, sex, age and address. Arc GIS 10.2 software was used to generate the spatial maps. However, Chi-square test was used in testing the hypotheses using Statistical Package for Social Science 20.0. The result indicated that demographic and occupational categories of people at risk of diabetes significantly varied in Metropolitan Kano. Therefore, there is significant difference in the number of diabetes mellitus cases among the age groups. The most affected age groups are from Kano municipal local government and falls within the age group of 56-60 years with total cases of 197 (2.4%). Also, the findings revealed there is significant difference in the number of diabetes mellitus cases between the gender groups, with men having high cases of diabetes mellitus. The study further revealed that there is significant difference in the number of diabetes cases among the occupational categories with  house wives accounted for the highest cases of 1946 cases (23.9%), followed by civil servants recorded the least number of 1035 cases (12.7%) in Kano metropolis. The State governments should establish, staffed and fund testing and counseling centers at all levels of primary health care centers across the state. Ministry of health and diabetic association of Nigeria should organize routine public enlightenment programmes specifically targeting the most vulnerable age, gender and occupational groups. However, long term intervention strategy should be directed towards establishing diabetic speciality hospitals in Metropolitan Kano.