Abstract

Background and Aims: The burden of cognitive impairment (CI) is high in diabetes mellitus. CI can adversely affect the self
care and management of diabetes, which results in an increase in the risk of hypo‐ or hyperglycaemic events and diabetic
complications. The study aimed to determine the prevalence and predictors of CI in diabetic patients.
Methods: A hospital‐based, cross‐sectional study was conducted among diabetic patients who were attending Jinja Regional
Referral Hospital (JRRH), Eastern Uganda, from April to June 2024. A pre‐designed data collection tool was used to capture
socio‐demographics and clinic profiles of the participants. A Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), version 8.1, was used to
assess the CI (score: ≥26=normal,<26=cognitive impairment) in diabetic patients. We used a binary and multiple logistic
regression analysis to identify predictors of CI in diabetes.
Results: The prevalence of CI among diabetic patients was 63.11% (95% CI: 58.3–67.9), and it was high among Type II diabetic
patients (66.96%). Most of the patients have mild CI (73.77%). Delayed recall (78.96%) and language (73.77%) cognitive domains were
greatly affected. Variables like advanced age (AOR=6.08; 95% CI=2.05–18.03), education (Illiterate: AOR=5.90; 95%
CI =2.16–16.14; primary: AOR=17.07; 95% CI=5.64–51.71), alcohol use (AOR=2.56; 95% CI=1.22–5.37), no physical activity
(AOR=5.24; 95% CI=2.52–10.91), type II diabetes (AOR=7.02; 95% CI=2.17–22.64), duration of diabetes (5–10 years: AOR =14.09;
95% CI=5.75–34.55; >10 years: AOR=78.80; 95% CI=23.79–260.95), uncontrolled blood glucose (AOR =5.13; 95% CI=1.91–13.83),
hypertension (AOR=5.26; 95% CI=2.08–13.34), and diabetic complications (AOR=4.30; 95% CI=1.38–13.36) were significantly
associated with CI among diabetic patients