Mapping Knowledge Gaps: A Needs Assessment of Sorghum, Whole Grains Knowledge and Prediabetes Risk

Objectives: The objective of this cross-sectional online survey was to determine university students’ knowledge about whole grain (WG), sorghum, and prediabetes risk. Methods: The survey included 45 items to learn about the students’ WG perception, practices, primary nutrition information source, and physical activity level (PAL). Recruitment was carried out using the university’s official email announcement and data was collected through Qualtrics. Two-hundred-and-forty-eight undergraduate and graduate students, aged 18–44 years, completed the questionnaire. Results: Sixty-three percent of the students were at risk of prediabetes based on the CDC Prediabetes Risk Test, a recommended screening tool by the National Diabetes Prevention Program. Compared to females, males were at a significantly higher risk of prediabetes and T2DM. Males had a mean ± sd score of 1.70 ± 0.93 versus females (0.64 ± 0.92), (t(246) = −9.07, p < 0.001). Participants scored low on overall knowledge (sorghum and WG combined) (4.21 ± 2.04), WG knowledge (2.82 ± 1.03) and sorghum knowledge (3.21 ± 1.23). Despite reporting a high PAL, less than half had a very good health status, with 45.2% of them having overweight or obesity. Social media was the main nutrition information source for 60% of participants. Logistic regression showed that students with obesity had almost four times greater odds compared to those with normal weight (OR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.66–9.45, p = 0.002). Conclusions: These results have important public health implications, providing the rationale for our future research on a theory-based nutrition education intervention emphasizing sorghum consumption and metabolic effects on individuals with overweight and obesity, aiming to combat diet-related diseases.