Convincing people to adopt prudent health behaviors may be more difficult if they believe they are either not susceptible to a disease or less susceptible than others ( 23). It has been proposed that individuals tend to be unrealistically optimistic about their likelihood of experiencing positive life events and of not experiencing negative life events in comparison to their peers ( 21, 22). It has been proposed that individuals must perceive that they are at high risk of developing a disease to consider modifying their health behaviors to prevent its onset ( 18). A third study focusing on perceived susceptibility among college students found that 32% of a sample of 707 students perceived themselves to be susceptible to developing diabetes ( 17). Another study found that participants rated their risk for diabetes onset lower than their risk for heart disease ( 16). The results showed that participants who identified themselves as being part of a racial or ethnic group other than non-Hispanic white and who had family members with diabetes perceived an absolute 10-year risk of diabetes onset ( 15). One survey was designed to determine college students’ perception of their risk for developing diabetes in the next 10 years ( 15). A few studies of risk perception and diabetes have been conducted among college students. Risk perception for becoming ill is crucial to explaining why people engage in health-related behaviors ( 14). Individuals’ risk perception is based on their intuitive judgments when evaluating potential hazards ( 13). However, before attempting to tailor type 2 diabetes awareness programs for this population, it is necessary to identify their perception of their risks for developing diabetes. Therefore, targeted diabetes education programs are needed to give these individuals an opportunity to learn about how they can modify their lifestyle while there is still time to prevent or delay the onset of diabetes at an early age. Unfortunately, young adults may not be aware of the increased risk for type 2 diabetes that results from their lifestyle (e.g., unhealthy food and beverage choices and reduced levels of physical activity). Type 2 diabetes diagnosed at younger ages could place an additional economic burden on society because of the health complications commonly associated with this disease and associated premature mortality, as well as increased health care costs ( 12). Based on research findings linking weight gain and reduced levels of physical activity to increased risk of type 2 diabetes, it is advisable for this population to learn about preventing or delaying the onset of this condition ( 11). A survey of 400 college students revealed that 46.7% of the sample did not engage in vigorous physical activity, and 16.7% were physically inactive ( 10). Young adults tend to gain weight when they attend college ( 7– 9), and physical activity tends to decline in this population. Diabetes Risk Factors and College Students
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