Perceived threat of illness and health protective behaviors in offspring of adults with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

Self-reported measures of perceived threat of illness, health protective behaviors, psychological well-being, and family modeling of health behaviors of 30 adults with a parental history of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) were compared with responses from 29 adults with a parental history of hypertension and 30 adults with no parental history of chronic illness. The NIDDM risk group reported significantly more perceived threats of NIDDM and hypertension and more weight-control efforts than the controls did. Reports of the NIDDM risk respondents concerning physician screening, healthy diet, and exercise did not differ from reports of individuals without a family history of NIDDM. Perceived threat, psychological well-being, and family modeling did not correlate with health-protective behaviors. The findings suggest that offspring of adults diagnosed with NIDDM perceive themselves to be at risk of NIDDM and engage in health behaviors, such as weight control, to protect themselves from NIDDM onset.