Factors associated with diabetes and its control in a newly developed country

We have determined factors associated with the control of diabetes mellitus, a leading and emerging public health problem in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Diabetic patients from the Abu Dhabi Emirate responded to interviewer-administered questionnaires, including socio-demographic factors. UAE citizens (49% of patients) showed a female preference for hospital-based treatment, and had a fasting blood glucose level that was a mean 1.2 mmol/L higher than in South Asian patients (p=0.024). Health centre-managed patients had over twice the odds of poor diabetic control compared to those treated at hospital (OR 2.47, p=0.001). A positive family history of diabetes was significantly associated with good control (OR 0.39, p=0.001), suggesting that diabetes in the family encourages better care. The findings suggest that hospitals are overburdened with routine management, and that improvements are needed in primary care and in the community-based approach to diabetes control, especially among the indigenous population.