article · Advances in General Practice of Medicine
A study investigated the prevalence of prediabetes and associated factors among university students aged 18–34 in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Researchers conducted a cross-sectional study, collecting sociodemographic, behavioural, anthropometric, and clinical data, alongside blood measurements including fasting plasma glucose and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). Of 327 participants, 26.6% had prediabetes and 11.6% had probable diabetes, indicating that 38.2% had some form of dysglycaemia. When analysing factors associated with prediabetes, excluding those with probable diabetes, the prevalence was 30.1%. The study found that lower HDL-cholesterol concentrations were independently associated with prediabetes, with other characteristics showing no significant link. This suggests prediabetes is common in this young population, emphasising the need for early metabolic risk assessment.
Prediabetes often progresses to type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Discovering its high prevalence in young university students in the DRC highlights a significant public health concern. Early detection and targeted prevention strategies could help mitigate long-term health complications in this demographic.
The abstract highlights a high prevalence of prediabetes in a young population and identifies HDL-cholesterol as a key associated factor. This early-stage research could inform the development of targeted screening programmes or educational interventions aimed at young adults in similar settings. Such programmes might focus on lifestyle modifications to improve HDL-cholesterol levels, potentially involving public health organisations or university health services. The research itself is foundational and not near-market.
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Background: Prediabetes is an important early marker of dysglycaemia and an established risk state for the subsequent development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. However, evidence on prediabetes among young adults in sub-Saharan Africa remains limited. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes and identify factors associated with prediabetes among university students in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).Methods: We conducted a descriptive cross-sectional study among students aged 18–34 years enrolled at the University of Lubumbashi during the 2025–2026 academic year. Participants were selected using simple random sampling. Sociodemographic, behavioural, anthropometric and clinical data were collected using a structured questionnaire and standardised measurement procedures. Fasting plasma glucose, glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile and serum creatinine were measured. Prediabetes was defined as an HbA1c level of 5.7–6.4%, while values ≥6.5% were considered compatible with probable diabetes. Participants with probable diabetes were excluded from analyses of factors associated with prediabetes. Associations were assessed using bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models, with results expressed as odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).Results: Among 378 students sensitised to the study, 327 participated, corresponding to a participation rate of 86.5%. Of these, 202 (61.8%; 95% CI, 56.4–66.9) were normoglycaemic, 87 (26.6%; 95% CI, 22.1–31.7) had prediabetes, and 38 (11.6%; 95% CI, 8.6–15.6) had HbA1c values compatible with probable diabetes. Thus, 38.2% of participants had dysglycaemia. Among the 289 participants included in the comparative analysis of normoglycaemia versus prediabetes, the mean age was 22.96 ± 2.89 years, and the prevalence of prediabetes was 30.1%. Most sociodemographic, anthropometric, behavioural and clinical characteristics were not significantly associated with prediabetes. Prediabetic participants had lower mean HDL-cholesterol concentrations than normoglycaemic participants (42.92 ± 11.80 vs 49.82 ± 14.77 mg/dL; p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, HDL-cholesterol remained independently associated with prediabetes (adjusted OR, 0.97; 95% CI, 0.94–0.99; p = 0.012), corresponding to approximately 3% lower odds of prediabetes per 1 mg/dL increase in HDL-cholesterol.Conclusion: Prediabetes was common among university students in Lubumbashi, affecting approximately one in four students overall and nearly one in three participants after exclusion of those with probable diabetes. HDL-cholesterol was the only factor independently associated with prediabetes. The high burden of dysglycaemia observed in this young population highlights the importance of early metabolic risk assessment and prevention strategies among young adults in the DRC.
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DOI: 10.25082/agpm.2026.01.003
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