📖 ABSTRACT/OVERVIEW
Background: Delayed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus results in advanced complications at presentation, significantly increasing morbidity and treatment costs. Despite growing incidence in urban Nigeria, the determinants of diagnostic delay in family medicine settings in the South West geopolitical zone remain empirically underexplored. Objective: This study determines the sociodemographic, healthcare access, and patient-level factors associated with delayed diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus in Lagos State. Methods: A cross-sectional analytic study enrolled 340 patients with type 2 diabetes from six family medicine clinics using multistage cluster sampling. Diagnostic delay was defined as a period of more than six months between symptom onset and laboratory confirmation. A validated structured questionnaire and clinical record review were employed. Multiple logistic regression identified independent determinants. Results: Delayed diagnosis was documented in 58% of participants. Low health literacy, low socioeconomic status, previous consultation with a patent medicine vendor, and attribution of symptoms to spiritual causes were independent predictors. Urban-rural origin and health insurance status significantly modulated diagnostic probability. Conclusion: Diagnostic delay in type 2 diabetes in Lagos is driven by a complex interplay of patient, systemic, and cultural factors. Family medicine departments should implement opportunistic screening protocols and community health literacy programmes to reduce diagnostic gaps and the associated complication burden. Keywords: type 2 diabetes, diagnostic delay, family medicine, Lagos, determinants
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