title: Diabetes Risk Perception and Intention to Adopt Healthy Lifest yles Among Primary Care Patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine perceived risk of developing diabetes in primary care patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We recruited 150 nondiabetic primary care patients. We made standard clinical measurements, collected fasting blood samples, and used the validated Risk Perception Survey for Developing Diabetes questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients with high perceived risk were more likely than those with low perceived risk to have a family history of diabetes (68 vs. 18%; P < 0.0001) and to have metabolic syndrome (53 vs. 35%; P = 0.04). However, patients with high perceived risk were not more likely to have intentions to adopt healthier lifestyle in the coming year (high 26.0% vs. low 29.2%; P = 0.69).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Primary care patients with higher perceived risk of diabetes were at higher actual risk but did not express greater intention to adopt healthier lifestyles. Aspects of health behavior theory other than perceived risk need to be explored to help target efforts in the primary prevention of diabetes.
authors: General Medicine Division, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
authors: Marie-France
authors: MF
authors: Hivert
authors: Ana Sofia
authors: AS
authors: Warner
authors: Peter
authors: P
authors: Shrader
authors: Richard W
authors: RW
authors: Grant
authors: James B
authors: JB
authors: Meigs
mesh_terms: D001294:Attitude to Health; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D011320:Primary Health Care; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior