The main therapeutic goal for all type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients is to maintain good control so as to prevent the risk of complications associated with poor control. This study determined the prevalence of poor control and its association with socio-demographics and malaria parasitaemia among middle aged and elderly T2DM patients at a tertiary hospital in rural Southwestern Nigeria. We conducted a retrospective observational study on 250 T2DM using semi-structured interviewer administered questionnaire. Venous blood samples were collected and processed for glycated hemoglobin sugar estimation and malaria parasite detection by microscopy. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Multivariate logistic regression identified the association of socio-demographics and asymptomatic malaria parasitaemia with poor control. The prevalence of poor glycemic control was 31.6% (95%CI: 34.4%-45.8%). Old age, (AOR=4.868; 95% CI: 1.258-24.574), female genders (AOR=7.100; 95% CI: 1.875-34.655), no formal education (AOR=3.447; 95% CI: 1.098-21.478), presence of malaria parasitaemia (AOR=48.423; 95% CI: 4.987-411.366), and higher parasite density (AOR=7.102; 95% CI: 1.785-15.002), were significantly associated with poor control. Health facilities should integrate screening of malaria parasitaemia into the management of T2DM patients while also exploring other barriers of poor control.

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