Are Demographic Factors Associated with Diabetes Risk Perception and Preventive Behavior?

Objective: To determine the relationship between perceived diabetes susceptibility, demographic factors, diet, and physical activity.

Design: This descriptive, correlational study used multilevel modeling in a secondary analysis of data collected in a randomized controlled trial of genetic-risk testing and risk counseling for type 2 diabetes (T2DM) in primary care.

Sample: 409 participants who had undergone genetic-risk testing for T2DM in primary care were randomized into either a standard risk assessment (SRA) arm for type 2 diabetes or an SRA plus results of genetic-risk testing (SRA+G) arm.

Results: Perceived diabetes susceptibility was not significantly related to demographic factors but only to fruit-and-vegetable intake at 12 months after genetic-risk counseling (p = .04). Daily servings of fruits and vegetables had a significant, positive relationship with female gender (p = .006), age (p = .02), and Hispanic ethnicity at 3 (p = .002) and 12 months after baseline (p = .01). Daily servings of fatty foods were inversely related to age at baseline (p = .02) and 3 months later. At all three timepoints, Blacks were consuming more servings of fatty foods than were other groups. A positive relationship between age and moderate activity was significant at 3 months (p = .05). Vigorous activity was inversely related to age; higher among men at all three timepoints; and higher among Hispanics at baseline (p = .0038) and 3 months later (p = .0001).

Conclusions: To plan effective, sustainable interventions, providers must understand the associations among demographic factors, individuals' risk perceptions, and lifestyle changes.