Assessment of the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Among a Rural Population in South India Using the Indian Diabetic Risk Score

Objective The objective of our study was to assess the risk for diabetes using the Indian Diabetic Risk Score (IDRS) questionnaire and compare the components of IDRS between the risk groups. Methods It was a cross-sectional study involving 270 male and female attendees who visited Melmaruvathur Adhiparasakthi Institute of Medical Sciences (MAPIMS) from December 2019 to May 2020. The diabetes risk was assessed using the IDRS questionnaire. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) was used for statistical analysis. P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results IDRS categorization showed 12.6%, 73.7%, and 13.7% in the low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk groups, respectively. Age, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) were significantly (P < 0.05) higher in the high-risk group when compared with the low-risk group. Subjects with a positive family history of diabetes and no/mild physical activity were higher in the moderate and high-risk group but there is no significant association present between them. Conclusion The current study estimates the effectiveness of IDRS in identifying people at high risk for diabetes in the community. This study also emphasizes the need for early identification of high-risk individuals and planning for the appropriate intervention to prevent, or delay, the onset of diabetes and thus reduces the burden of diabetes in India.