Facteurs associés au prédiabète chez les adultes Congolais : une étude transversale de la zone de santé de Gombe Matadi, République Démocratique du Congo

Abstract

Context and objective. Prediabetes is an important precursor to the development of type 2 diabetes. Its prevalence in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is unknown. This study aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with prediabetes in the rural health zone of Gombe-Matadi. Methods. This cross-sectional analytical study used archived clinical and biochemical data from 1,531 individuals (809 women [52.8%]; median age: 50 years; range: 19–96 years) randomly selected as part of a survey conducted in May 2019 in the rural health zone of Gombe-Matadi, DRC. Prediabetes was defined as a blood glucose level determined two hours after the oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and ranging between 140 and 199 mg/dL in any individual not known to have diabetes. Results. The prevalence of prediabetes was 15.8%. Alcohol consumption (28.4%), high blood pressure (28.3%), smoking (25%), abdominal obesity (22.1%), family history of diabetes (15.8%), sedentary lifestyle (15.1%), and overweight/obesity (13.6%) were the main cardiovascular risk factors observed. The prevalence of high blood pressure, abdominal obesity and overweight/obesity significantly increased with blood glucose category (p<0.001). In a logistic regression analysis, alcohol consumption (OR 1.669; CI 1.151-2.421; p=0.007) and high blood pressure (OR 1.360; 1.002-1.845; p=0.048) were significantly associated with prediabetes. Conclusion. The observed high prevalence of prediabetes requires preventive measures, including a healthy diet, regular physical activity and low alcohol consumption, to combat overweight/obesity, the basis of insulinoresistance. Received: April 16th, 2025 Accepted: August 6th 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i4.13