Evaluación de factores asociados y riesgo de desarrollo de diabetes mellitus tipo 2 en estudiantes universitarios.

Abstract

Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) is a chronic disease characterized by elevated blood glucose levels due to insulin resistance or insufficient insulin production, associated with beta cell dysfunction in the pancreas. To evaluate risk factors for type 2 diabetes mellitus in university students using anthropometric measurements, blood pressure, glucose levels, and a survey on diet and physical activity, in order to design prevention and health promotion strategies. The study population consisted of 266 university students from the Technical University of Machala. This research adopts a quantitative, cross-sectional approach. The main finding of this study is the identification of significant risk factors in university students, highlighting sedentary lifestyle, poor diet, and genetic predisposition. The detection of cases with incipient metabolic disorders that do not yet meet diagnostic criteria for T2DM highlights the importance of early detection strategies in this population. Future studies could address these limitations to obtain a more accurate picture of the evolution of metabolic risk in university students.