Association of nutritional status and physical activity level with diabetes risk among students at Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (PSA)

Diabetes mellitus is one of the most serious concerns in public health, with the risk that it can affect all age categories and lead to debilitating complications if not controlled. This cross-sectional study aimed to analyze the associations among nutrition and its status, physical activity levels, and diabetes risk in young adults at Politeknik Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah (PSA), Selangor. A total of 121 students aged 18–29 years were recruited, excluding those diagnosed, pregnant, or breastfeeding students. Anthropometric measurements such as BMI, waist circumference, fat mass, body fat percentage, fat-free mass, and visceral fat were included in the determination of nutritional status. Physical activity was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire Short Form (IPAQ-SF), while the risk for diabetes was measured using the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC). It was expected that variables of poor nutritional status, such as high BMI, fat mass, and visceral fat, would show a significant association with increasing diabetes risk, whereas increasing physical activity would have an opposite relationship. Research results show that 58.7% of students were overweight or obese, 35.5% had high-risk waist circumference, and a considerable number showed abnormal fat mass and percentage body composition parameters, revealing an unhealthy nutritional state. On FINDRISC, 13.2% of participants were at moderate to very high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. According to Spearman analysis, there were significant correlations between BMI, body fat percentage, fat mass, fat-free mass, visceral fat, and waist circumference with FINDRISC score in both genders at p < 0.05, except for physical activity, which had no significant association. These findings reinforce the initial expectation that nutritional status is a strong predictor of diabetes risk, while physical activity level may never be a significant influence on risk. For the prevention of type 2 diabetes among young adults, emphasis must be laid on starting interventions early by modifying body weight and lifestyle practices.