title: Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy and associated factors among adult diabetes mellitus patients in Bahr Dar, Ethiopia.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Diabetic sensory neuropathy is a common form of microvascular complication among diabetic patients. The swiftly growing population of people living with diabetes in Ethiopia and lack of elaborated scientific data on peripheral sensory neuropathy among diabetic population in Ethiopia prompted this work. This study was set out to assess the enormity and associated factors of peripheral sensory neuropathy among diabetes patients attending chronic illness clinic of Felege Hiwot Regional Referral Hospital, Bahr Dar, Northwest Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  An institution based cross-sectional study was conducted at Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital chronic illness clinic using Michigan neuropathy screening instrument tool for diabetic peripheral sensory neuropathy on 408 diabetic patients during 2016. Data were collected using interview, patient record review, anthropometric measurements and physical examination. Both bivariate and multivariate binary logistic regression was employed to identify factors associated with peripheral sensory neuropathy. Odds ratios with their 95% CI andPvalue less than 0.05 used to determine statistically significant associations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 368 patients were included with the mean age of 49 ± 14.3 years. The overall prevalence of Peripheral Sensory Neuropathy was found to be 52.2%. The major associated factors identified by multivariate analysis were age >50 years: AOR: 3.0 CI [1.11, 7.89]; overweight and obese: AOR: 7.3 CI [3.57, 14.99]; duration of DM: AOR: 3.4 CI [1.75, 6.60]; not involved in physical exercise: AOR: 4.8 CI [1.90, 7.89]; male gender: AOR: 2.4 CI [1.18, 5.05].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Almost half of the diabetic patients who attended Felege Hiwot regional referral hospital during study period were found to present with peripheral sensory neuropathy. Socio-demographic and bio characteristics like patients age, Body Mass Index, level of physical activity and marital status were significantly associated with diabetic peripheral sensory neuropathy.
authors.affiliation: Department of physiotherapy, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Gashaw
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Jember
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Yayehirad Alemu
authors.initials: YA
authors.lastname: Melsew
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences and Ayder comprehensive specialized Hospital, Mekelle University, Mekelle, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Berihu
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fisseha
authors.affiliation: Department of physiotherapy, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Kedir
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sany
authors.affiliation: Department of physiotherapy, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Asmare Yitayeh
authors.initials: AY
authors.lastname: Gelaw
authors.affiliation: Department of physiotherapy, School of Medicine, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Balamurugan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Janakiraman
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes peripheral sensory neuropathy (DPSN); Ethiopia