Burden of Diabetes and Temporal Trends in Clinic Attendance at a Sub-Urban Primary Diabetes Centre in South West Nigeria: A Five-Year Retrospective Study.

Authors

Ayotunde Oladunni Ale, Olubiyi Fidelis Adesina, Funmilayo Deborah Adediji, Oluwabukola Oluwatamilore Ale

Published in

Nigerian medical journal : journal of the Nigeria Medical Association. Volume 67. Issue 3. Pages 909-920. Epub Jul 10, 2026.

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is an increasing public health burden in sub-Saharan Africa, yet longitudinal primary care trends remain underreported. This study assessed the burden of DM and temporal trends in clinic attendance at the Talabi Diabetes Centre (TDC) in Isara-Remo, Ogun State, from 2021 to 2025.
A retrospective review of 4,475 patients managed between 2021 and 2025 was conducted. Data on socio-demographic characteristics, clinical diagnoses, and service utilisation were analysed using descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, Cochran-Armitage trend analysis, and multinomial logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.
The studied mean age was 57.4 ± 9.8 years, with 80.0% aged ≥50 years and 67.5% female. DM accounted for 61.5% of cases, hypertension 18.7%, and other conditions 19.8%. Most patients (76.3%) were overweight or obese. Annual clinic attendance fluctuated significantly (χ²= 68.07, p < 0.0001), rising from 948 in 2021 to 1,026 in 2025 with a mid-period decline. New registrations (13.6% of attendees) decreased significantly over time (Z = -2.41, p = 0.016). DM showed a significant declining trend in clinic burden, peaking at 69.5% in 2023 and falling to 54.4% in 2025 (p < 0.001). DM-specific new attendances also declined (p = 0.006), while hypertension remained stable and other conditions increased. Female sex, older age (≥60 years), and obesity were strongly associated with higher odds of DM and comorbidity (OR up to 8.10).
DM remains the leading cause of clinic attendance, though its proportional burden is declining alongside rising non-diabetic conditions. Ageing, female sex, and obesity are key determinants of disease burden. These findings highlight the need for strengthened integrated chronic disease management in primary care settings.

PMID:
42605400
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 17 Aug 2026.

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