Prevalence of anaemia and associated factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Ho municipality in Ghana.

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anaemia and associated factors among type 2 diabetic patients.

Design: This research utilised a hospital-based cross-sectional study design.

Setting: The research was conducted at the Diabetic Clinic of Ho Municipal Hospital.

Participants: The study involved 180 type 2 diabetic patients, aged 20 years or older, who had been on anti-diabetic medications for a minimum of three months before the study. Premenopausal women who had not menstruated in the two weeks before recruitment were also included in the study. Participants were excluded if they were receiving haematinics, had undergone a blood transfusion in the preceding month, were undergoing treatment for malaria or helminthiasis, or had any other chronic complications such as renal failure, liver disease, or stroke. Individuals with type 1 diabetes and pregnant women were excluded from the study.

Results: Approximately a quarter [44 (24.4%)] of the study population had anaemia, with a slight male preponderance [15(25.0%)]. Mild and moderate anaemia were 31 (70.5%) and 13(29.5%), respectively. Microcytic hypochromic anaemia [16 (36.4%)] was the most frequent morphological type of anaemia, followed by normocytic normochromic anaemia [12(27.3%)]. High BMI and low platelet counts were independently associated with reduced odds of developing anaemia in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Conclusion: Anaemia is a common finding in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in the Ho municipality. Mild anaemia and microcytic hypochromic anaemia were predominant among the anaemic patients. High BMI and low platelet count were significant predictors of reduced probability of anaemia.

Funding: None declared.