The Relationship Between Type 2 Diabetes Risk and Healthy Lifestyle Behaviours of University Students in North Cyprus

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The development of health-promoting lifestyle behaviours can reduce the risk of lifestyle diseases such as obesity, and type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to determine associated factors and the relationships between health-promoting behaviour and the risk of type 2 diabetes in university students. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was conducted with 374 university students, and type 2 diabetes risk and health promoting lifestyle behaviours were assessed by The Finnish Type 2 Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) and Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile Scale (HPLP)-II, respectively. Data were collected by face-to-face interviews and survey techniques and some anthropometric measurements were also taken. RESULTS: There was a weak negative relationship between the scores of HPLP-II-total, HPLP-II-physical activity (PA), HPLP-II-nutrition (NT), and type 2 diabetes risk (r=-0.13, p=0.01; r=-0.17, p<0.001; r=-0.16, p<0.001, respectively). The lowest FINDRISC score group had the highest HPLP-II-NT scores (p<0.05). Female students had a 2.3-fold increased type 2 diabetes risk in comparison to males and students who were smokers had a 2.1-fold increased type 2 diabetes risk (p<0.05). Overweight students had a 3.7-fold increased type 2 diabetes risk compared to underweight students (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: There is a relationship between type 2 diabetes risk and overall healthy lifestyle behaviours and healthy lifestyle behaviours such as NT, and PA. Gender, age, obesity, alcohol consumption, smoking, NT, and PA are the factors affecting type 2 diabetes risk. Parts of university education courses and activities on healthy lifestyles can encourage students to develop their health promoting lifestyle behaviours and can be beneficial in reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.