Assessment of Diabetes Risk Factors in HBCU College Students

In North Carolina, African American adults have 1.5-2.77 greater risk of having diabetes compared to other races. This disparity can be minimized by reducing risk factors during key developmental stages such as young adulthood. Young adults make up the majority of the population in college communities. Our study aimed to assess the prevalence of risk factors for diabetes among young adults at N.C. A&T State University. A secondary objective was to determine whether educational level is a protective factor for diabetes risk factors among African American college students at a large public HBCU. In fall 2016, a written health assessment survey was completed by a convenience sample of 537 students at N.C. A&T State University. The survey was a compilation of 48 questions from several databases and results were analyzed using Chi-square tests. Study results indicated the NC A&T students may be at greater risk for diabetes due to lack of health education, lack of physical activity and lack of interest or engagement in their own health. The strength of the study was limited due to response rate of study participants. Future assessments of N.C. A&T students should further evaluate health habits and behaviors, utilizing research strategies that reduce response rate and increase the quality of data collected. A proper assessment of N.C. A&T students health and behaviors is necessary to development and implement health promotion initiatives that decrease the prevalence of risk factors for diabetes in this vulnerable population