A Scientific Study at the Faculty of Pharmacy Reveals Increased Risks of Diabetes and Metabolic Syndrome Among Syrian Youth

In light of the growing global and regional rise in the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, there is an urgent need for scientific studies that shed light on the reality of these risks among young people, particularly in Syria, which faces escalating health and living challenges due to conflict-related conditions and their impact on lifestyles and healthcare systems.
In this context, a research team consisting of professors and graduates from the Faculty of Pharmacy at the International University for Science and Technology, in collaboration with the Syrian Virtual University, conducted a scientific study entitled:

“Assessment of the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic Syndrome Among Syrian Youth Using Five Validated Risk Assessment Tools: A Cross-Sectional Study”
The study was published in Discover Public Health, a Scopus-indexed international journal in the field of public health (Q4-ranked).

The study aimed to compare five internationally recognized predictive tools for assessing the risk of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome among Syrian youth, as well as to examine gender- and lifestyle-related differences and evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of these tools within the Syrian context.
The study was conducted on a sample of Syrian university students using structured questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and comprehensive clinical assessments. Five globally validated health risk assessment tools were applied, alongside advanced statistical methods including descriptive statistics, comparative analysis, and ordinal logistic regression to identify factors associated with increased risk levels.
The study included 248 male and female students, of whom 129 were females (52%).
Key Findings
The results demonstrated clear variations in the proportion of participants classified as high-risk depending on the assessment tool used:
The Australian AUSDRISK tool recorded the highest high-risk rate at 18.1%.
It was followed by the Leicester Risk Assessment (LRA) tool at 16.9%.
The Japanese JAMRISC tool ranked third at 12.9%.
The OMANI tool recorded 10.1%.
Meanwhile, the FINDRISC tool showed the lowest high-risk rate at 7.6%.
The agreement levels among the tools ranged from weak to moderate, indicating significant differences in each tool’s ability to identify individuals at risk.
The study also showed that agreement among three or more tools resulted in classifying 10.4% of participants as high-risk.
Among the most notable findings:
A family history of diabetes increased the likelihood of elevated risk levels by more than 40 times.
Regular physical activity acted as a strong protective factor against increased risk.
The study also revealed that unhealthy lifestyle habits among males contributed to their higher classification within the high-risk category, particularly according to the JAMRISC tool, while the FINDRISC tool showed only slight differences between genders.

Significance and Implications of the Study
These findings confirm that Syrian youth are exposed to considerable risks of early onset type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome, and that relying on a single assessment tool may lead to overlooking some at-risk individuals.
The study highlights the need to develop culturally adapted screening and health assessment models tailored to the specific characteristics of Syrian society, which would contribute to strengthening prevention and early detection programs and improving public health among young people.
The International University for Science and Technology takes pride in this distinguished research achievement, which reflects its active role in supporting scientific research and contributing to addressing priority health issues at both the national and regional levels.