Introduction:

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a global health problem that is currently beginning to affect the young adult population. The 2018 National Health and Nutrition Survey (ENSANUT) reports that 10.3% of the population aged 20 years and over has this disease. Its development is multifactorial; however, it is highly related to modifiable aspects of lifestyle, such as eating habits and lack of physical exercise.

Objective:

To evaluate dietary habits and their association with the risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in university students in the health field.

Materials and methods:

Quantitative, descriptive and cross-sectional study, with a sample of 357 students from 5 bachelor's degrees in the health area, a confidence level of 95%, and an alpha margin of error of 5%. Data were collected using dietary habits questionnaires, the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC) predictive score, and a general data sheet. Results were analyzed using SPSS version 25.0.

Results:

57.7% of the population has a low risk of suffering from T2DM, 50.1% have normal weight, the association between the risk of developing diabetes and eating habits, significance was found in the physical exercise factor.

Conclusions:

Normal weight, population age and physical exercise are determining variables for the outcome of low to moderate risk for the development of diabetes mellitus. Arch Latinoam Nutr 2025; 75(1): 8-17.