New Study Examines Diabetes Risk Awareness and Its Effect on Health/Lifestyle Behaviors in Adolescents with Elevated Risk Markers
June 15, 2023
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh Division of Pediatric Endocrinology researcher Mary Ellen Vajravelu, MD, MSHP, was the senior author of a new study published in May in JAMA Network Open exploring how adolescents and youth perceive their risk of diabetes, and whether that awareness is related to engagement in healthy lifestyle behaviors that could reduce diabetes risk.
Study Summary and Important Findings
The study explored the relationship between the awareness of diabetes risk and actual health behavior in adolescents. The study, which was based on data collected from the U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey between 2011 and 2018, involved 1,341 individuals aged 12 to 17 years who had a body mass index (BMI) in the 85th percentile or higher.
The analysis showed that a greater awareness of diabetes risk by an individual was linked to having lower physical activity levels and more time in front of a screen (computer, smart phone/tablet, television, etc.).
Interestingly, individuals who reported that their doctor told them they were at risk for diabetes did not report engaging in healthier behaviors. Furthermore, the study found that potential barriers, such as measures of economic disadvantage, correlated with lower physical activity levels.
Adolescents with overweight or obesity, and elevated diabetes risk did not demonstrate increased engagement in risk-reducing behaviors. This suggests that clinicians need to address barriers to engagement in healthier lifestyles beyond simply enhancing risk perception and awareness. Economic disadvantages are among these barriers and need to be incorporated into future interventions targeting adolescent lifestyle modification.
Read more about the study and its findings using the link below.
Study Reference
Chu P, Patel A, Helgeson V, Goldschmidt, Ray MK, Vajravelu ME. Perception and Awareness of Diabetes Risk and Reported Risk-Reducing Behaviors in Adolescents. JAMA Netw Open. 2023; 6(5): e2311466.
