Risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus according to the FINDRISC questionnaire. A descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective study

Abstract

Introduction: type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) is one of the leading public health concerns due to its high prevalence and the significant proportion of people who are unaware of their diagnosis. The FINDRISC questionnaire is a useful, accessible, and non-invasive tool for identifying individuals at higher risk of developing the disease and facilitating early preventive interventions.

Objectives: to analyze the utility of the FINDRISC questionnaire as a tool for determining the risk of developing T2D in the population attending a hospital in the province of Buenos Aires, to identify blood glucose levels, and to evaluate the association between these two variables.

Material and methods: a descriptive, cross-sectional, and prospective study was conducted among individuals aged 18 to 75 years who visited the laboratory at “xxxxxx Hospital for a blood glucose test. Participants were randomly recruited in the laboratory waiting room and completed the FINDRISC questionnaire.

Results: a total of 254 participants were included. 20.5% had a very low risk of developing T2D, 34.7% a low risk, 20.1% a moderate risk, 21.3% a high risk, and 3.5% a very high risk. The mean fasting blood glucose level was 100.1±13.2 mg/dL, with a progressive increase in blood glucose values as the risk level increased, from 94.1 mg/dL in the very low-risk category to 115.8 mg/dL in the very high-risk category. The association between blood glucose levels and risk categories was statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis test: χ²=37.693; p<0.001). Ordinal logistic regression showed that for every 1 mg/dL increase in blood glucose, the probability of being in a higher risk category increased by 6.3% (OR=1.063; 95% CI: 1.043-1.080).

Conclusions: the results support the usefulness of the FINDRISC questionnaire as a screening tool in the hospital setting, demonstrating an association with impaired glycemic alterations and enabling the identification of populations at higher risk of developing T2D.