Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) poses a significant global and national health burden, with increasing prevalence noted among younger and working-age populations. In the Philippines, underdiagnosis remains common, particularly among healthcare workers. Despite the availability of noninvasive screening tools like the American Diabetes Association (ADA) Risk Test, their application in occupational health screening remains limited. This study aimed to determine the risk of developing T2DM among employees of a tertiary government hospital in the Philippines using the ADA Risk Screening Test and to describe the distribution of risk factors among the population.

A quantitative, cross-sectional, observational study was conducted among 1,747 employees of a tertiary government hospital in Tagum City in 2024. Cluster sampling was applied across all hospital departments, and participants were screened using the ADA Risk Test. Pregnant women and known cases of diabetes or impaired fasting glucose were excluded. Data were encoded using Microsoft Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 25. Descriptive statistics, including mean, standard deviation, frequencies, and percentages, were used to summarize demographic and clinical profiles, along with ADA risk classifications.

The mean age of respondents was 39.2 years, with 68.4% being female. Based on the ADA Risk Test, 14.4% of the employees were classified as high risk for developing T2DM. Among the risk factors, 43.6% reported low physical activity, 42.4% had a family history of diabetes, and 22% had a history of hypertension. Weight status showed that 81.2% were overweight, 16.4% obese, and 2.4% morbidly obese by ADA BMI criteria. The prevalence of gestational diabetes was low (0.86%), likely due to the younger age of the cohort.

While the majority of hospital employees were classified as low risk by ADA scoring, modifiable risk factors such as excess weight, low physical activity, and family history were highly prevalent. These findings highlight the need for early preventive strategies in the workplace, even among younger adult populations, to curb the progression to T2DM.