Cluster Identification of Diabetic Risk Factors among Saudi Population

Aims: The aim of the study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors of diabetes mellitus among adult population of Albaha region, Saudi Arabia and to identify the diabetic risk clusters among Saudi population using various cluster analysis techniques.

Study Design: Cross-sectional observation and Hierarchal cluster analyses.

Place and Duration of Study: The study was conducted in three different cities of the Albaha region, Saudi Arabia including Albaha, AlAqiq and Baljurashi among Saudi adults 15 years of age or above. The study was carried out from April 2019 to May 2019.

Methodology: The first part of the research was a random cross-sectional observational diabetic risk factors screening using a structured questionnaire among adult volunteers of the Albaha region. The second part constituted a multiple cluster analysis technique performed to identify the diabetic risk factors from 13 regions of Saudi Arabia, clustered into five main regions, using NCSS software.

Results: In the first part, the risk factors identified among non-diabetic participants showed a significant association with the development of diabetes mellitus, particularly physical inactivity (49.12%), hypertension (41.15%), and high body mass index (19.03%). Likewise, in 11.54% of diabetic patients, elevated body mass index (30.51%), hypertension (27.12%) and physical inactivity (55.93%), which could be associated with diabetic complications. In the second part, the three forms of cluster analyses (the agglomerate hierarchical cluster, clustered heat map and K means clustering analysis) identified physical inactivity and high body mass index as key risk factors which are connected to all other risk factors among the total of 213591 volunteers.

Conclusion: Increased prevalence of diabetes and risk of developing diabetes mellitus in the Kingdom require substantial education and training programs to counsel volunteers on all aspects of self-care. Our data provides a robust evidence to establish diabetic counseling through regular diabetes awareness program that can reduce the risk of developing diabetes mellitus.