Unrealistic Optimism, Sex, and Risk Perception of Type 2 Diabetes Onset: Implications for Education Programs

Reyes-Velázquez, Wanda; Sealey-Potts, Claudia

This cross-sectional study was conducted at a university located in Walker County, Tex. Faculty representing five colleges on the campus were contacted via e-mail before the start of the fall semester and asked to participate in the study. Fifty professors agreed to have researchers recruit students who were willing to participate voluntarily. A total of 660 students agreed to take part in the study. Researchers instructed the participating students to read and sign a consent form and to complete a 6-page, self-administered questionnaire that took 15 minutes to complete. The questionnaire included 27 questions and was distributed at the beginning of a class session. Completed questionnaires were placed in an envelope or box. The university's human subjects institution review board approved this project. Data analysis was conducted using IBM Statistics SPSS 20.0 software (IBM, Armonk, N.Y.).