ASSOCIATION BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE STATUS, DIET QUALITY, ANTHROPOMETRY AND RISK OF DIABETES MELLITUS AMONG YOUNG ADULTS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21111/dnj.v9i2.14324Keywords:
adult, anthropometry, diabetes, diet quality, knowledge statusAbstract
Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), diabetes is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from defects in insulin secretion, insulin action, or both. It has become a global health threat, particularly among young adults. Methods: This study aimed to determine the association between knowledge status, diet quality, anthropometry, and the risk of diabetes mellitus among young adults at Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 150 university students. Data on sociodemographics, knowledge status, and diet quality were collected using validated questionnaires, while anthropometric measurements were taken face-to-face. The Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) was used to assess the 10-year risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Results: showed a significant association (p < 0.05) between anthropometric indices and diabetes risk. Among underweight individuals, 97% were at moderate risk and 3% at low risk. In the normal-weight group, 74.1% were at moderate risk and 25.9% at low risk. The risk increased markedly with higher BMI, with 100% of those in obesity class III categorized as high risk. A strong relationship was also observed between waist circumference and diabetes risk: 45.5% of individuals with central obesity were at high risk, while none were in the low-risk group. Conclusion: assessing diabetes risk among young adults is crucial for early prevention. Enhancing awareness and promoting healthy dietary habits are essential strategies. Implementing targeted educational and health promotion programs in universities may effectively reduce diabetes risk among young adultsReferences
Allaire, B. T., Tjaden, A. H., Venditti, E. M., Apolzan , J. W., Dabelea , D., Delahanty , L. M., ... & DPP Research Group. 2020. Diet quality, weight loss, and diabetes incidence in the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). BMC nutrition, 6, 1-11. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40795-020-00400-4
Amaral, V. R. S., Ribeiro, Í. J. S., & Rocha, R. M. 2021. Factors associated with knowledge of the disease in people with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Investigación Y Educación En Enfermería/InvestigacióN Y EducacióN En EnfermeríA, 39(1). https://doi.org/10.17533/udea.iee.v39n1e02
Andes, L. J., Cheng, Y. J., Rolka, D. B., Gregg, E. W., & Imperatore, G. 2020. Prevalence of prediabetes among adolescents and young adults in the United States, 2005-2016. JAMA pediatrics, 174(2), e194498-e194498.
Aris, M. A. M., Pasi, H., Shalihin, M. S. E., Othman, U., & Rahim, N. H. A. 2022. Translation and Validation of Malay Version of the Simplified Diabetes Knowledge Test (DKT). Malaysian Journal Of Medicine & Health Sciences, 18 (3).
Barreira, E., Novo, A., Vaz, J. A., & Pereira, A. M. 2018. Dietary program and physical activity impact on biochemical markers in patients with type 2 diabetes: A systematic review. Atencion primaria, 50(10), 590-610.
Bak, J. C., Serné, E. H., Kramer, M. H., Nieuwdorp, M., & Verheugt, C. L. 2021. National diabetes registries: do they make a difference?. Acta diabetologica, 58, 267-278.
Calixto Andrade , G., Julia, C., Deschamps, V., Srour, B., Hercberg, S., Kesse-Guyot, E.,& Bertazzzi Levy, R. 2021. Consumption of ultra-processed food and its association with sociodemographic characteristics and diet quality in a representative sample of French adults. Nutrients,13(2), 682.
Chen, G. C., Koh, W. P., Neelakantan, N., Yuan, J. M., Qin, L. Q., & van Dam, R. M. 2018. Diet quality indices and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: the Singapore Chinese Health Study. American journal of epidemiology, 187(12), 2651-2661.
Cheung, L. T., Chan, R. S., Ko, G. T., Lau, E. S., Chow, F. C., & Kong, A. P. 2018. Diet quality is inversely associated with obesity in Chinese adults with type 2 diabetes. Nutrition journal, 17.
Costello, E., Goodrich, J., Patterson, W. B., Rock, S., Li, Y., Baumert, B., Gilliland, F., Goran, M. I., Chen, Z., Alderete, T. L., Conti, D. V., & Chatzi, L. 2022. Diet Quality Is Associated with Glucose Regulation in a Cohort of Young Adults. Nutrients, 14(18), 3734. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14183734
Della Corte, K. A., Penczynski, K., Kuhnle, G., Perrar, I., Herder, C., Roden, M., ... & Buyken, A. E. 2021. The prospective association of dietary sugar intake in adolescence with risk marke 2 diabetes in young adulthood. Frontiers in Nutrition, 362.
Gazzaz, Z. J. 2020. Knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding diabetes mellitus among university students in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 5071-5078.
Han, C. Y., Chan, C. G. B., Lim, S. L., Zheng, X., Woon, Z. W., Chan, Y. T., .& Chong, M. F. F. 2020.Diabetes-related nutrition knowledge and dietary adherence in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus: A mixed-methods exploratory study. Proceedings of Singapore Healthcare, 29(2), 81-90.
Harbuwono, D. S., Tahapary, D. L., Tarigan, T. J. E., & Yunir, E. 2020. New proposed cut-off of waist circumference for central obesity as risk factor for diabetes mellitus: Evidence from the Indonesian Basic National Health Survey. PloS One, 15(11), e0242417. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0242417
Hasbullah, F. Y., Fong, K. Y., Ismail, A., Mitri, J., & Yusof, B. N. M. 2021. A comparison of nutritional status, knowledge and type 2 diabetes risk among malaysian young adults with and without family history of diabetes. The Malaysian journal of medical sciences: MJMS, 28(1), 75.
He, D., Qiao, Y., Xiong, S., Liu, S., Ke, C., & Shen, Y. 2020. Association between dietary quality and prediabetes based on the diet balance index. Scientific reports, 10(1), 3190. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-60153-9
Ismail, H., Saminathan, T. A., Lourdes, T. G. R., Hasani, W. S. R., Abd Majid, N. L., & Yusoff, M. F. M. 2024. Prevalence of Diabetes and its Associated Factors among Adults in Malaysia: Findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2019.
Jailani, M., Elias, S. M., & Rajikan, R. 2021. The new standardized Malaysian healthy eating index. Nutrients, 13(10), 3474
Jayedi, A., Soltani, S., Motlagh, S. Z. T., Emadi, A., Shahinfar, H., Moosavi, H., & Shab-Bidar, S. 2022.Anthropometric and adiposity indicators and risk of type 2 diabetes: systematic review and dose- response meta-analysis of cohort studies. BMJ, 376.
Jacobsen, S. S., Vistisen, D., Vilsbøll, T., Bruun, J. M., & Ewers, B. 2020. The quality of dietary carbohydrate and fat is associated with better metabolic control in persons with type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Nutrition journal, 19(1), 1-8.
Kumar, R., Itumalla, R., Perera, B., Elabbasy, M. T., & Singh, M. 2022. Patient knowledge about diabetes: illness symptoms, complications and preventive personal lifestyle factors. Health Psychology Research, 10(3). https://doi.org/10.52965/001c.37520
Koipuram, A., Carroll, S., Punthakee, Z., & Sherifali, D. 2020. Diabetes knowledge, risk perception, and quality of life among South Asian caregivers in young adulthood. BMJ Open Diabetes Research and Care, 8(2), e001268. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjdrc-2020-001268
Lascar, N., Brown, J., Pattison, H., Barnett, A. H., Bailey, C. J., & Bellary, S. (2018). Type 2 diabetes in adolescents and young adults. The lancet Diabetes & endocrinology,6(1),6980.
Liese, A. D., Couch, S. C., The, N. S., Crandell, J. L., Lawrence, J. M., Crume, T. L., & Urbina, E. M. (2020). Association between diet quality indices and arterial stiffness in youth with type 1 diabetes: SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Nutrition Ancillary Study. Journal of Diabetes and its Complications, 34(12), 107709.
Li, S., Wang, Y., Ying, Y., Gong, Q., Lou, G., Liu, Y., Liu, S., & Li, H. 2023. Independent and joint associations of BMI and waist circumference with the Onset of Type 2 Diabetes mellitus in Chinese Adults: Prospective Data Linkage study. SciSpace - Paper. https://doi.org/10.2196/39459
Liu, J., Rehm, C. D., Onopa, J., & Mozaffarian, D. 2020. Trends in diet quality among youth in the United States, 1999-2016. Jama, 323(12), 1161-1174.
López, L. V., Torres, A. V. M., Bravo, P. G. M., & De La Peña, J. E. 2023. Inadequate diabetes knowledge is associated with poor glycemia control in patients with type 2 diabetes. Atención Primaria, 55(5), 102604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aprim.2023.102604
Mkumbuzi, L., Mfengu, M. M., Engwa, G. A., & Sewani-Rusike, C. R. 2020. Insulin resistance is associated with gut permeability without the direct influence of obesity in young adults. DiabetesMetabolic Syndrome and Obesity, 2997-3008.
Morze, J., Danielewicz, A., Hoffmann, G., & Schwingshackl, L. 2020. Diet quality as assessed by the healthy eating index, alternate healthy eating index, dietary approaches to stop hypertension score, and health outcomes: a second update of a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 120(12), 1998-2031.
Nagarathna, R., Bali, P., Anand, A., Srivastava, V., Patil, S., Sharma, G., ... & Nagendra, H. R. 2020. Prevalence of diabetes and its determinants in the young adults Indian population-call for yoga intervention. Frontiers in endocrinology, 11, 846 .
Ong, Y. Q., Harith, S., Shahril, M. R., Shahidan, N., & Hapidin, H. 2023. Socio-demographic Characteristics and Nutritional Status of Adults at Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Kuala Nerus, Terengganu. Malaysian Journal of Medicine & Health Sciences, 19(2).
Owolabi, E. O., Ter Goon, D., & Adeniyi, O. V. 2020. Central Obesity and Normal-Weight central Obesity among adults attending healthcare facilities in Buffalo City Metropolitan Municipality, South Africa: a Cross-Sectional study. Metabolism, Clinical and Experimental, 104, 154059. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.metabol.2019.12.005
Pollakova, D., Andreadi, A., Pacifici, F., Della-Morte, D., Lauro, D., & Tubili, C. 2021. The impact of vegan diet in the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes: a systematic review. Nutrients, 13(6), 2 123.
Ruiz, L D., Zuelch, M. L., Dimitratos, S. M., & Scherr, R. E. 2019. Adolescent obesity: diet quality, psychosocial health, and cardiometabolic risk factors. Nutrients, 12(1), 43
Rusli, N. S., & Harith, S. 2020. Body Mass Index, Eating Habits and Physical Activity Among Dietetics Students in Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin. Journal of Nutrition Science, 1(2), 28-39.
Sanjeevi, N., & Freeland‐Graves, J. H. 2022. Low diet quality is associated with adverse levels of metabolic health markers and clustering of risk factors in adults with type 2 diabetes. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 36(1), 31–39. https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.13020
Shan, Z., Rehm, C. D., Rogers, G., Ruan, M., Wang, D. D., Hu, F. B., ... & Bhupathiraju, S. N. 2019.Trends in dietary carbohydrate, protein, and fat intake and diet quality among US adults, 1999- 2016Jama, 322(12), 1178-1187.
Sekgala, M. D., Sewpaul, R., Opperman, M., & Mchiza, Z. J. 2022. Comparison of the ability of anthropometric indices to predict the risk of diabetes mellitus in South African males: SANHANES1. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(6), 3224.
Silva-Tinoco, R., Cuatecontzi-Xochitiotzi, T., De la Torre-Saldaña, V., León-García, E., Serna-Alvarado, J., Orea-Tejeda, A., ... & Prada, D. 2020. Influence of social determinants, diabetes knowledge, health behaviors, and glycemic control in type 2 diabetes: an analysis from real-world evidence. BMC endocrine disorders, 20, 1-11.
Tan, S. L., Juliana, S., & Sakinah, H. 2011. Dietary compliance and its association with glycemic control among poorly controlled type 2 diabetic outpatients in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Nutrition, 17(3), 287–299. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22655451/
Tan, S., Lu, H., Song, R., Wu, J., Xue, M., Qian, Y., Wang, W., & Wang, X. 2020. Dietary quality is associated with reduced risk of diabetes among adults in Northern China: a cross-sectional study. British Journal of Nutrition, 126(6), 923–932. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0007114520004808
Thapa, B., Singh, U. K., Bhujel, K., Adhikari, L., & Karmacharya, I. 2021. Knowledge regarding diabetes mellitus among non-diabetic patients attending the outpatient department of the district hospital in Gorkha, Nepal. Zeitschrift Für Gesundheitswissenschaften/Journal of Public Health, 30(6), 1441–1446. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10389-020-01446-1
Wabo, T. M. C., Nkondjock, V. R. N., Onwuka, J. U., Sun, C., Han, T., & Sira, J. 2021. Association of fourteen years diet quality trajectories and type 2 diabetes mellitus with related biomarkers. Aging (Albany NY), 13(7), 10112.
Xu, F., Earp, J. E., Adami, A., Weidauer, L., & Greene, G. W. 2022. The relationship of physical activity and dietary quality and diabetes prevalence in US adults: findings from NHANES 2011– 2018. Nutrients, 14(16), 3324.
Zhang, S. T., Zhang, J. G., Jia, X. F., Jiang, H. R., Wang, L. S., Zhang, B., Wang, H. J., Wang, Z. H., & Ding, G. G. 2022. Association between obesity and the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus among Chinese adults aged 18-65 years in 15 provinces in 2018 PubMed, 43(10), 1596–1602. https://doi.org/10.3760/cma.j.cn112338-20211115-00884
Downloads
Submitted
Accepted
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Authors
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work (See The Effect of Open Access).
