Characterization of adults without risk and with risk for type 2 diabetes, and adults with type 2 diabetes in Northern Mexico

Abstract

Objective: To characterize a group of adults without risk and with risk for type 2 diabetes and with type 2 diabetes in Northern Mexico. Method: Descriptive, correlational and cross-sectional design; 250 apparently healthy persons, male and female, between 18 and 65 years of age, were included, who were recruited in a shopping mall of Monterrey, Mexico. The instruments used were paper and pencil, anthropometric measurements, and a sample of 3 ml of blood to process glycated hemoglobin. Results: Females predominated (72.8%), average age was 43.9 years (DE = 12.7), average of 11.5 years of schooling (DE= 4.3), 80% has family history of diabetes; 13.1% of participants had indicative diabetes figures, and 26.9% had the risk of developing it. The results regarding fat percentage and waist circumference were above the recommended cutting points. A high risk of diabetes, high social support, sufficient monthly income, and community characteristics favoring health were noticed; on the contrary, anxiety, a healthy lifestyle, depression symptoms, and work related stress had low percentages. 86.8% of people see the doctor only when they are sick, and more than 50% of the people were recommended to exercise and keep a balanced diet; more than half of the people were informed to be at risk of diabetes. Conclusion: It is important to use the ecological perspective which opens the understanding of processes and factors of different levels of social organization involved in the risk of developing T2D.