Assessment of the risk of type 2 diabetes using the FINDRISC (FINnish Diabetes RIsk Score) questionnaire and its predictors at the population level in Poland

INTRODUCTION: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) represents a major public health challenge in Poland. This study investigated geographic heterogeneity and municipality‑level ecological predictors of a high T2D risk in the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship (Poland), a region undergoing rapid socioeconomic transition. OBJECTIVES: We aimed to identify associations between the T2D risk, assessed by the Finnish Diabetes Risk Score (FINDRISC), and socioeconomic and environmental factors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This cross‑sectional study analyzed data from 252 427 residents of the Świętokrzyskie Voivodeship aged 45-64 years, without diagnosed diabetes, who participated in a regional prevention program (2019-2022). Individual risk, assessed via the FINDRISC questionnaire, was linked with municipality‑level ecological data. We used a logistic regression model with municipality‑clustered standard errors to identify predictors of a high T2D risk (FINDRISC ≥15). RESULTS: Overall, 13.6% of the participants were at a high risk of diabetes (FINDRISC ≥15), with significant geographic variation (P