Awareness and Perceptions of Type 2 Diabetes Risk Factors, Preventability, and Complications Among College Students in Visakhapatnam, India

Abstract

In India, often referred to as the “diabetes capital of the world,” it is imperative to establish the level of knowledge among Asian Indians of Type 2 Diabetes (DM2) in order to plan effective public health programs aimed at prevention of DM2. Using an original survey of 983 college students in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, we evaluated individuals’ knowledge of DM2 including prevalence, risk factors, and prevention. To date, there are only a few studies that look at awareness of diabetes on the community level, and no previous studies have involved sampling college students. Our findings show that although awareness of diabetes is high, only half of the students sampled were aware that DM2 could be prevented and 60% were unaware that little or no exercise was a risk factor. The results suggest that diabetes awareness programs are needed among the college age population in India to prevent DM2.