Diabetes risk assessment among medical students of a medical college in Andhra Pradesh: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background: A major global health concern in the 21st century is diabetes. The prevalence of diabetes in India is 8.3%, and 647,831 deaths were related to diabetes in India. Medical students tend to have a sedentary lifestyle due to academic demands, which makes them more prone to noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes. The study was conducted to assess the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus and to determine the factors associated with the risk of diabetes among medical students at a medical college in Andhra Pradesh. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 277 medical students in a medical college in Andhra Pradesh. The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score scale was used to assess diabetes risk, and data were collected through online mode using Google Forms after taking informed consent. Descriptive statistics and the Chi-square test were used, and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The risk of acquiring diabetes in the next 10 years was slightly elevated in 46 (16.6%) female students, 7 (2.5%) male students, and moderate risk in 4 (1.4%) female students. There was a significant association between diabetes risk and body mass index, physical activity >30 min, eating veg/fruits daily, history of high blood glucose, and history of diabetes in the family. Conclusion: According to the study, one-fifth of students had a slightly elevated or moderate risk of diabetes in the next 10 years.