Risk factors for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in college students: association with sociodemographic variables1

OBJECTIVE identify the modifiable risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in college students and associate these factors with their sociodemographic variables. METHOD cross-sectional study, involving 702 college students from Fortaleza-CE, Brazil. Sociodemographic, anthropometric, physical exercise data and blood pressure and fasting plasma glucose levels were collected. RESULTS the most prevalent risk factor was sedentariness, followed by overweight, central obesity, high fasting plasma glucose and arterial hypertension. A statistically significant association was found between overweight and sex (p=0.000), age (p=0.004) and marital status (p=0.012), as well as between central obesity and age (p=0.018) and marital status (p=0.007) and between high fasting plasma glucose and sex (p=0.033). CONCLUSION distinct risk factors were present in the study population, particularly sedentariness and overweight.