Prevalence And Associations Of Neuropathic Pain Among Subjects With Diabetes Mellitus In The Enugu Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy (Edipen) Study

Abstract

The present study examined the prevalence and associations of neuropathic pain among subjects with diabetes mellitus. Four hundred and twenty two (422) type 1 and type 2 diabetic patients between18 and 70 years were drawn for study from medical outpatient unit of Enugu State University Teaching Hospital, Parklane-Enugu, with mean Age of M = 57.06; SD = 10.01). Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Questionnaire (Feldman and Stevens, 1994) was used in collecting data for the study, while data were analyzed using Hayes regression-based PROCESS macro for SPSS. Results showed that: there was a significant association between having positive pain and presence of DPN. Prevalence of painful symptoms increased progressively as the severity of DPN increased. The gender (female) and anemia significantly predicted PDPN among diabetic patients, while age, diabetes duration, smoking, and alcohol habits, do not trigger nor influence PDPN. Therefore, medical practitioners who manage these diabetic patients should look out for positive pain among diabetic patients with diabetic peripheral neuropathy; they (medical practitioners) and patients should as well expect increased painful symptoms as severity of diabetic peripheral neuropathy increases, and age, diabetes duration, smoking, and alcohol habits, do not trigger painful diabetic peripheral neuropathy among diabetic patients rather being a woman and having illnesses like anemia can trigger it.