title: Younger adult type 2 diabetic patients have poorer glycaemic control: a cross-sectional study in a primary care setting in Singapore.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim was to study the glycaemic control of type 2 diabetic patients, and to identify factors associated with unacceptable glycaemic control (defined as HbA1c >8.0%).
  
  
  METHODS
  Analysis of data collected in a cross-sectional survey of type 2 diabetic patients in eight SingHealth Polyclinics in January 2009. HbA1c value was measured on the day of the survey, while information on patient and diabetic characteristics was obtained through a questionnaire. Odds ratio of having unacceptable glycaemic control was estimated for selected variables using multiple logistic regression models.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 688 patients were included in the analysis. The mean (± standard deviation) and median (range) HbA1c levels were 7.6% (± 1.35) and 7.3% (5.0% to 14.0%), respectively. 25.4% of the patients had an unacceptable HbA1c level of >8.0% and the odds of this were higher (p < 0.05) in patients with the following characteristics: younger age, longer diabetes duration, presence of insulin treatment, and poorer compliance to medication.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Younger adult patients were found to have poorer glycaemic control, and hence targeted educational and behaviour modification programmes would be required to effectively manage this group of patients.
authors.affiliation: SingHealth Polyclinics- Outram Polyclinic, 3 Second Hospital Avenue, Health Promotion Board building Level 2, Singapore 168937, Singapore. joanne.quah.h.m@singhealth.com.sg.
authors.forename: Joanne Hui Min
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Quah
authors.forename: Yan Ping
authors.initials: YP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Nan
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Choon How
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: How
authors.forename: Ee Guan
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Tay