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Perception of risk of developing diabetes in offspring of type 2 diabetic patients
Jaetaek Kim1, Seungjin Choi, Chee Jeong Kim
1Department of Internal Medicine, Chung-Ang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Insights
Offspring of type 2 diabetes patients often underestimate their own risk. Increased awareness and education on lifestyle changes are crucial for prevention in this high-risk group.
Area of Science:
- Endocrinology
- Public Health
- Genetics
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes poses a significant risk to offspring.
- Limited research exists on offspring risk awareness.
- This study addresses this knowledge gap.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate risk perception in male offspring of type 2 diabetic patients.
- To assess awareness of familial diabetes risk.
Main Methods:
- Recruited 101 non-diabetic men (aged 19-28) with type 2 diabetic parents.
- Assessed their perception of developing diabetes.
Main Results:
- Only 9.9% believed they might develop diabetes.
- 38.6% were concerned, 84.2% saw it as serious.
- Parental education level predicted risk perception.
Conclusions:
- Offspring often lack awareness of increased diabetes risk.
- Physicians and educators should inform offspring about risks.
- Promote lifestyle modifications for prevention.
Background:
The risk of developing diabetes is high in the offspring of patients with type 2 diabetes. There have been no studies to assess the offspring's awareness of the risk of developing diabetes. The aim of this study was to investigate how the male offspring of type 2 diabetic patients assess their likelihood of developing diabetes.
Methods:
One hundred and one non-diabetic men with one or both parents having type 2 diabetes, aged 19-28 years, were recruited.
Results:
Thirty-nine subjects (38.6%) were concerned about diabetes and 85 (84.2%) considered diabetes a serious problem. However, only 10 (9.9%) thought they might develop diabetes and 9 (8.9%) had previously attended diabetes education programs with their parents. The educational level amongst the diabetic parents was the only independent predictor of perception of the increased risk. Age, body mass index, waist-to-hip ratio, educational level and the perception of diabetes as a serious problem were not associated with perception of the increased risk.
Conclusion:
Most offspring of diabetic parents lacked knowledge about the increased risk amongst family members. We suggest that physicians and diabetic educators should provide knowledge about the increased risk of developing diabetes in offspring and the benefit of lifestyle modification to delay or prevent the development of the disease.