Context: Health system is likely to encounter more adolescents with Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) as a consequence of obesity and sedentary lifestyle. Intervention at various stages of the life cycle is needed as cumulative effect of risk factors accumulated from fetal life to adult increases risk of noncommunicable disease.
Aims: The aim of this study was to find out awareness regarding T2DM and distribution of risk factor for T2DM in adolescents from the rural areas of Wardha district, India.
Methodology: A cross-sectional study conducted in the rural area of India involves 412 adolescent boys and girls selected by systematic random sampling technique. Data collected by a face-to-face interview and waist-hip ratio (WHR), body mass index, random capillary blood glucose (RCBG) were estimated.
Results: 65.1% were aware of T2DM. Girls, older adolescents, higher education were associated with awareness (P < 0.001). Totally, 204 (49.51%) had some risk factors for T2DM, of these 191 (46.6%) had sedentary lifestyle, 153 (31.7%) adolescents had nutritional risk factors, 69 (43.4%) boys had WHR >0.90 and 113 (71.1%) girls had WHR >0.85, 103 (25%) adolescents had RCBG ≥110 mg/dl, and 77 (18.7%) participants reported family history of DM.
Conclusions: Considering the risk factors of T2DM among adolescents from the rural area, there is a need for prevention programs for creating awareness related to T2DM, early identification of risk factor for T2DM, and targeted interventions. The study may serve as a formative research for developing and testing interventions aimed at primary prevention of T2DM among adolescents from rural India.
Keywords: Adolescents; awareness; risk factors; rural area; type 2 diabetes mellitus.