Family history, diabetes risk perception, and health behaviors: Findings from college students in South Texas

Background/Objective: Diabetes affects the lives of 1-in-10 people and 1-in-3 Latinos in the U.S. The disease is most often caused by a combination of hereditary and lifestyle factors. This study investigates the relationship between family history of diabetes, diabetes risk perception, and preventive lifestyle practices among predominantly Latino college students in South Texas.

Methods: Data was collected from 287 college students using a survey instrument containing questions from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Questionnaire. Statistical analyses used included: descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, and analysis of variance (ANOVA).

Results: Participants were on average 21 years old, 63% were female, and the majority were Latinos (80%). Close to three-quarters had a family member diagnosed with diabetes, and 38% felt they were at medium or high risk for developing the disease. Three-quarters were engaged in physical activity but only 10% had met the 5-a-day fruit/vegetable recommendation. A highly significant relationship was found between family history of diabetes and diabetes risk perception (p<0.001). However, no significant relationship was found between diabetes risk perception and lifestyle behaviors (physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption).

Conclusion: Results indicate that family history plays a large role in an individual's risk perception for developing diabetes. The results also imply the possibility of other variables other than risk perception that may instigate the practice of healthy lifestyle behaviors. This implication and the lack of relationship between risk perception and lifestyle habits necessitates further research into what promotes preventive practices in order to reduce diabetes risk among young people.