PloS one
Prevalence and associated factors of delayed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus among adults attending a comprehensive specialized hospital in Central Ethiopia: A facility-based cross-sectional study
By Asfaw MM and Addila AE.
Abstract
Background
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and progressive pancreatic β-cell dysfunction, leading to persistent hyperglycemia. Delayed diagnosis is a major public health challenge because many patients are recognized only after developing chronic complications, yet evidence on this problem remains limited in Central Ethiopia.
Objective
To assess the prevalence and associated factors of delayed diagnosis of T2DM among patients attending Wachemo University Nigist Eleni Mohammed Memorial Comprehensive Specialized Hospital (WUNEMMCSH), Central Ethiopia.
Methods
A facility-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 390 adult T2DM patients attending follow-up care at WUNEMMCSH between January 2021 and December 2025 (data collection: February 2026), selected by simple random sampling from medical records. Delayed diagnosis was defined as an interval exceeding three months between the first chart-documented fasting plasma glucose (FPG) ≥126 mg/dL and formal physician-documented diagnosis. Bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regression analyses were performed in SPSS version 25, with significance declared at p < 0.05 using adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI).