Factors Associated with Diabetes Mellitus Control Among Palestinian Diabetic Patients Visiting Specialized Center

Poor glycemic control increases the risk of various complications in diabetic patients. Therefore, this study investigated the factors influencing glycemic control among diabetic patients in Palestine. In this cross-sectional study, diabetic patients who regularly attended the Palestine Diabetes Institutes were recruited. Data on demographics, clinical characteristics, Mediterranean diet adherence, and quality of life (QOL) were collected. Descriptive analysis and binary logistic regression were employed to determine the associations among the selected variables, using the SPSS software. The study included 199 participants, 54.8% of them were females and 83.4% had poor glycemic control, while 22.1% had strong adherence to the Mediterranean diet. Patients with poor glycemic control were more likely to be obese, non-smokers, and who engaged less walking. Additionally, these patients were more frequently prescribed a combination of metformin and Dipeptidyl Peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors, as well as mixed insulin. glycemic control was significantly associated with all QOL domains except for energy., with patients with poor glycemic control presenting lower scores across all QoL domains, except for emotional well-being. Binary regression analysis showed that increasing the amount of time spent walking per week, having role limitations due to physical health, and better general health were significant predictors of poor glycemic control. Poor glycemic control is significantly associated with lifestyle factors, medication use, and QoL domains. These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to improve glycemic control and to explore effective strategies for optimizing glycemic control.