Thread by @nick_krontiris

In this nationally representative sample of US youths at higher risk for type 2 diabetes due to elevated BMI, risk perception and risk awareness were not found associated with greater engagement in diabetes risk-reducing behaviors.

- Instead, greater diabetes risk perception was associated with more time spent watching TV and fewer days of adequate physical activity, whereas awareness was not associated with reported health behaviors.

- Some health care access barriers, including measures of economic disadvantage, were associated with adverse patterns of health behaviors such as lower levels of physical activity.

Notably, some presumed barriers to health behavior change in this study were unexpectedly associated with healthier behavioral patterns.

Namely, lower reported screen time and less frequent consumption of food prepared outside of the home were reported for youth from larger households, and frequent consumption of fast food was less common among youth with household food insecurity.

Other barriers, including health care access and food insecurity, were associated with lower reported physical activity and higher screen time.

Perception and Awareness of Diabetes Risk and Reported Risk-Reducing Behaviors in Adolescents (open access)

doi.org/10.1001/jamane…

#Obesity #MetabolicSyndrome