Factors determining the occurrence of hyperglycemia in women practicing voluntary depigmentation in four hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon

Abstract

Background: Voluntary depigmentation (VD) is a cosmetic practice with potentially local and systemic complications such as hyperglycemia. The aim of this study was to find determinants of hyperglycemia in women who practices VD. Methodology: we carried out a retrospective cohort study with from February to August 2020 in four hospitals in Yaoundé, Cameroon. This study included two groups of women: one made up of women who practices VD (exposed group) and the other of women who does not practices VD (group of “unexposed”). Data were collected on CSPro 7.4 software and analyzed on SPSS 25 software. The association between hyperglycemia and VD was measured using Chi-square test. Results: We recruited 181 women: 60 exposed and 121 unexposed. Prevalence of hyperglycemia in the exposed group was 43.3% versus 27.3% in the unexposed group. After logistic regression, the relative risk was significantly higher (RR=5.7; 95% CI: 2.04-15.60) in women practicing DV (p=0.001). The second determinant significantly associated with hyperglycemia was the presence of metabolic syndrome (RR=16.5; 95% CI: 4.82-56.04; p<0.001). Conclusion: VD is a risk factor for the occurrence of hyperglycemia in our context. Key words: Voluntary depigmentation; Hyperglycemia; Diabetes; Cameroon