Hypoglycemia Prevention Practice and Associated Factors Among Patients with Diabetes Mellitus Following at Public Hospitals of Central Zone, Tigray, Ethiopia, 2018

Abstract Background Hypoglycemia is an acute medical situation that occurs when blood sugar falls below the recommended level. Even though, hypoglycemia prevention practice in the management of diabetes mellitus is one cornerstone in controlling the effect of hypoglycemia, hypoglycemia prevention practice among patients with diabetes mellitus is insufficiently studied. Moreover, the existed scarce literature in Ethiopia revealed hypoglycemia prevention practice is inadequate. Thus, this study tried to assess hypoglycemia prevention practices and associated factors among diabetic patients. Methods Hospital-based, cross-sectional study design was employed from April one to March one 2018 in Central Zone of Tigray Regional state of Ethiopia. A total of 272 diabetes mellitus patients were selected by systematic random sampling method from study area. The collected data was checked for its completeness and then entered into Epi data version 3.1 then cleaned and analyzed using SPSS version 23. Binary logistic regression model (AOR, 95% CI and p-value < 0.05) was used to determine the predictors of hypoglycemia prevention practice. Results the mean age of respondents was 52.19 years and about 100 (63.2%) had good hypoglycemia prevention practice. Knowledge regarding hypoglycemia [AOR = 10.34; 95% CI [5.41, 19.89]], having a glucometer at home [AOR=3. 02; 95% CI [1.12, 8.12]], attitude regarding diabetes mellitus [AOR = 2.36 CI [1.26, 4.39]], being governmental employee [AOR=5. 19, 95% CI [1.63, 16.58]] and being divorced [AOR = 0.13, 95% CI [0.32, 0.53]] were found significantly associated with good hypoglycemia prevention practice. Conclusion Around two third of the study participants were found to have good hypoglycemia prevention practice. Good knowledge and favorable attitude toward diabetes mellitus, having glucometer at home, being governmental employee and divorced were found to be the predictors of good hypoglycemia prevention practice.