Identification of Subgroups with Poor Glycemic Control among Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus: Based on the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from KNHANES VII (2016 to 2018)

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This study was performed to assess the level of blood glucose and to identify poor glycemic control groups among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM). @*Methods@#Data of 1,022 Korean type 2 DM patients aged 30-64 years were extracted from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey VII. Complex samples analysis and a decision-tree analysis were performed using the SPSS WIN 26.0 program. @*Results@#The mean level of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 7.22± 0.25%, and 69.0% of the participants showed abnormal glycemic control (HbA1c≥ 6.5%). The characteristics of participants associated with poor glycemic control groups were presented with six different pathways by the decision-tree analysis. Poor glycemic control groups were classified according to the patients’ characteristics such as period after DM diagnosis, awareness of DM, sleep duration, gender, alcohol drinking, occupation, income status, low density lipoprotein-cholesterol, abdominal obesity, and number of walking days per week. Period of DM diagnosis with a cut-off point of 6 years was the most significant predictor of the poor glycemic control group. @*Conclusion@#The findings showed the predictable characteristics of the poor glycemic control groups, and they can be used to screen the poor glycemic control groups among adults with type 2 DM.