Estimation of Diabetes Risk Among Medical Students in Rajasthan Using Indian Diabetes Risk Score (IDRS)

A BSTRACT Introduction: Diabetes is the leading cause of mortality with over 19% of the world’s diabetic population being Indians. Medical college students have sedentary lifestyles and are predisposed to developing diabetes at a younger age. Hence, the present study was formulated to estimate the risk of developing diabetes using the IDRS scoring and anthropometric determinants such as BMI and waist-hip ratio among medical students in Rajasthan. Materials and Methods: The present cross-sectional study was conducted among 256 medical students in Jaipur. Demographic data, questions pertaining to modified IDRS, and anthropometric measurements were recorded. Random and fasting blood sugar (RBS, FBS) were done for those participants with an IDRS score of ≥60. Results: A total of 256 students participated having a mean age of 19.4 ± 0.73 years, and mean IDRS score was 23.55 ± 15.69. The 11 participants with IDRS score ≥ 60 had an elevated mean BMI of 27.71 ± 4.84 and mean WHR 0.90 ± 0.05. 18.18% had elevated FBS levels, and 63.63% had elevated RBS levels. Higher IDRS scores were found among students with increasing age ( P = 0.006). IDRS was also found to be associated with waist-hip ratio ( P = 0.005) and BMI ( P < 0.001 ). No significant association was found between higher IDRS scores and gender, diet, physical activity, or family history. Conclusion: To conclude, there is a strong relation between the IDRS score and age, waist-hip ratio, and BMI in the participants who are at risk of diabetes.