Students' Risk Factors for and Perception of Type 2 Diabetes at an Upstate University College: A Pilot Study
Authors: Sullivan Stacey , Antwi Janet , Proulx William , Lavin Rebecca , Bellavia Maria 
Published: June 2021

Objective

Early detection of the risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D) may slow down or prevent the onset of the disease. The purpose of this pilot study was to generate preliminary data on what risk factors for T2D are most common among college students at SUNY Oneonta. We further assessed actual risk and students' perceived susceptibility, severity and self‐efficacy of the disease, and we identified factors associated with perception of T2D risk.

Research design and methods

Data of 44 nondiabetic college students with metabolic profile available, out of 132 that completed an online questionnaire survey was included in this cross‐sectional analysis. Actual risk factors were determined based on American Diabetes Association screening guidelines and the Health Belief Model's constructs was used for perceived susceptibility, perceived seriousness, and self‐efficacy. Sociodemographics, lifestyle factors, and nutrition knowledge information were obtained. A Bod Pod machine, CLIA waived CardioPlus analyzer, Omron BP652N 7 Series Wrist Blood Pressure were used to determine body weight, fasting glucose, cholesterol, and blood pressure levels, respectively. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 23.0.

Results

Physical inactivity was the most prevalent risk factor for T2D among college students (61.4% did <5days/week of 30 mins exercise), 45.5% had impaired fasting glucose levels (≥100mg/dL), 56.8% had low HDL‐c levels (<60 mg/dL), 43.2% had family history of T2D, and 36.4% had increased BMI (≥25kg/m2). 70% of students with detected impaired fasting glucose responded that they were at low risk of developing T2D. Students with family history of T2D (7.84 ±2.43) perceived the seriousness of the disease at a lesser degree than those without family history (7.24 ±2.60), but the difference was not statistically significant (t = −0.78, P=0.44). Only 31% of the participants felt confident that they can prevent T2D. Correlations showed significant positive associations between perceived risk of T2D and BMI (r = 0.49, P=0.001), and family history (r = 0.34, P=0.024), whereas a significant negative association was found with HDL‐c (r = −0.41, P=0.005). Participants had relatively adequate overall nutrition knowledge score (74%, recommended is ≥75%). However, knowledge scores on the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables were low, 36% and 34%, respectively. In multivariate binary logistic regression, perceived risk of T2D was associated with physical inactivity (P=0.037) and family history of T2D (P=0.014).

Conclusions

College students, particularly those with unknown impaired fasting glucose levels were overly optimistic about their own health and considerably underestimated their actual risk of developing T2D. With prevalence of high number of actual risk factors for T2D among the population, there is the need for intervention to raise awareness of the disease, empower students to have better lifestyle choices, increase nutrition knowledge, and improve self‐efficacy to prevent T2D.

Support or Funding Information

This research was funded by SUNY Oneonta 2016–17 Faculty Grant Program (Round II), and 2016–17 Faculty Development Fund

This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.