UNAIR NEWS – Dharma Wanita Persatuan (DWP) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) held a seminar on the prevention and early detection of diabetes mellitus (DM) for 50 elderly people at Karangrejo Urban Village Hall, Banyuwangi, on Saturday, October 10, 2026. This event featured dr Kurnia Alisaputri, Sp PD, a lecturer at the Faculty of Health, Veterinary Medicine, and Life Sciences, FIKKIA Banyuwangi, as the speaker in a series of social service activities to commemorate the 72nd Dies Natalis (Anniversary) of UNAIR.
Identify the signs and risk factors of diabetes
In the counselling session, dr Alisaputri explained DM as a group of metabolic diseases characterised by high blood sugar levels or hyperglycemia. She explained the three classic symptoms of diabetes, namely polyuria (frequent urination), polydipsia (frequent thirst), and polyphagia (frequent hunger even after eating).
“Diabetes mellitus, commonly known to the public as diabetes, is a group of metabolic diseases characterised by high blood sugar levels (hyperglycemia),” she said.
Several factors can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, including obesity, lack of physical activity, unhealthy family lifestyle, and advancing years. Fasting blood sugar tests, random blood sugar tests, oral glucose tolerance tests, and HbA1c can help detect diabetes according to medical criteria.
Healthy lifestyle to avoid complications
Uncontrolled diabetes can lead to serious complications, such as stroke, coronary heart disease, vision impairment, nerve damage, and kidney function disorders. Therefore, the prevention and management of diabetes need to be a focus, especially in older age.
In her presentation, dr Alisaputri highlighted four efforts to prevent diabetes, namely nutrition management according to needs, 30 minutes of physical activity per day, health education with a doctor, and weight control.
“Diabetes prevention can be achieved through nutritional therapy according to needs, 30 minutes of physical exercise per day, doctor-patient education, and weight control,” she explained.
For the elderly diagnosed with diabetes, compliance with medication as recommended by the doctor and foot care also become important parts of disease management.
Supporting quality of life
In addition to health education, attention to the well-being of older adults is also an important part of community social activities. Karangrejo Urban Village Head, Yuda Teguh Siswanto SS, highlighted the importance of interaction and care for older adults through a support program.
“A friend should often talk, pay attention to each other, care for each other, and give to each other,” he said.
He explained that assisting older adults requires the involvement of various elements of society, from the neighborhood (RT) and community (RW) levels to the urban village (kelurahan) and subdistrict (kecamatan) levels. Sustained interaction is expected to help older adults feel cared for and receive support in their daily lives.
Through this activity, DWP UNAIR aims to enhance older adults’ understanding of diabetes prevention and early detection while also encouraging a healthy lifestyle to maintain their quality of life.
Author: Zahwa Yasmina Fajri
Editor: Yulia Rohmawati
