Cognitive impairment and associated factors among adults with type 2 diabetes mellitus in eastern Sudan: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Cognitive impairment in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) is one of the major global public health issues. However, data on this issue remain scarce in Sudan. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence of cognitive impairment and its associated factors among adults with type 2 DM (T2DM) in East Sudan. Methods A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted at the Gadarif DM center. Using a systematic sampling method, 400 adults aged ≥18 years were recruited. Cognitive status was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), with a score of<26 indicating cognitive impairment. Multivariate binary analysis was performed. Results Of 400 patients with T2DM, 276 (69.0%) were females. The median (interquartile range, IQR) of the age and duration of T2DM were 53.0 (45.0–61.0) years and 7.0 (2.1–12.0) years, respectively. Three hundred and six (76.5%) patients with T2DM had cognitive impairment. Multivariate logistic regression showed that lower education level (OR = 9.93, 95.0% CI = 5.51–17.90), non-employee status (OR = 2.23, 95.0% CI = 1.16–4.29), and alcohol status (OR = 8.21, 95.0% CI = 1.02–66.02) were associated with cognitive impairment. There was no association between age, sex, marital status, residency, smoking status, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, BMI, hemoglobin A1c/poor control of T2DM, and cognitive impairment. Conclusion Three out of four patients with T2DM had cognitive impairment in East Sudan. Having a low level of education, non-employee status, and alcohol consumption are the associated factors for cognitive impairment. There is a need for public health interventions so as to detect and manage cognitive impairment early in adults with T2DM.