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Diabetes Risk Factor Knowledge Varies Among Multiracial College Students

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Abstract

All racial/ethnic groups are at higher risk for type 2 diabetes compared to whites, but it is unknown if young adults recognize their risk. Risk knowledge and individual risk perception were examined in 1579 multiracial urban college students. Students have little knowledge of diabetes risk factors; identifying less than three of ten. Considerable variation exists in the understanding of risk; only .02 % of Asian, 14.0 % of Hispanic and 22.8 % of black students recognized that their race increased risk. Among those with ≥3 risk factors (n = 541) only 39 % perceived their risk. These under-estimators had lower knowledge scores (p = .03) than those who acknowledged their risk; indicating that the cause of under-estimating risk may be, at least, in part due to a lack of information. There is a pressing need to heighten understanding of type 2 diabetes risk among young adults to decrease the future burden of this disease.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Health Professions, New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury, NY, USA

    Lorraine Laccetti Mongiello

  2. School of Public Health, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA

    Nicholas Freudenberg

  3. Psychology Department, Medgar Evers College, New York, NY, USA

    Hollie Jones

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  1. Lorraine Laccetti Mongiello
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  2. Nicholas Freudenberg
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  3. Hollie Jones
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Correspondence to Lorraine Laccetti Mongiello.

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Mongiello, L.L., Freudenberg, N. & Jones, H. Diabetes Risk Factor Knowledge Varies Among Multiracial College Students. J Immigrant Minority Health 18, 971–978 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0250-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-015-0250-9

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