Introduction:

Diabetic nephropathy is considered a highly prevalent public health problem, whose main risk factor is the unhealthy lifestyle that tends to deteriorate the quality of life of the individual.

Objective:

To relate the degree of diabetic nephropathy, health conditions and lifestyles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) at the Hermilio Valdizán Medrano Hospital in Huánuco (Peru), during 2019.

Methods:

It was a study with quantitative approach, observational, cross-sectional and ambiretrospective type. The sample consisted of 112 patients with a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes mellitus. The patients' medical records were reviewed to assess the degree of diabetic nephropathy, health conditions and a questionnaire on lifestyles was also applied. Kendall's Tau-c test was used to test the hypothesis.

Results:

It was found that a large proportion of the study sample (35.7%) had slightly increased grade 1 diabetic nephropathy; 47.3% (53) had a regular health condition. With respect to lifestyle, 69.6 % (78) had an unhealthy lifestyle. A positive and direct relationship (Tc = 0.789; p = 0.000) was also found between good health conditions and mildly increased grade 1 diabetic nephropathy.

Conclusion:

The degree of diabetic nephropathy has significant relationship with health conditions and healthy lifestyles.