AUTHOR=Zhang Guomiao , Mei Huiqin , Sheng Qichao , Chen Yang , Zhang Xinlv , Diwon Anthony , Wang Hui , Chen Yuxin , Wang Ziyi , Zhang Xiaoyu , Mao Qingyang , Li Dapeng , Zheng Chao , Mao Guangyun , Shi Fang TITLE=Global Burden of Type 2 Diabetes Attributable to Behavioral Risks: Insights and Projections to 2050 Based on the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 JOURNAL=International Journal of Public Health VOLUME=Volume 71 - 2026 YEAR=2026 URL=https://www.ssph-journal.org/journals/international-journal-of-public-health/articles/10.3389/ijph.2026.1608765 DOI=10.3389/ijph.2026.1608765 ISSN=1661-8564 ABSTRACT=ObjectivesThis study aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the burden of Type 2 diabetes (T2D) attributable to behavioral risks.MethodsUtilizing the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data for secondary modeling, we analyzed the burden of T2D attributable to behavioral risks, stratified by age, gender, risk factors, and regions. A Bayesian age-period-cohort (BAPC) model projected burden trajectories from 2022 to 2050 under the continuation of historical trends.ResultsFrom 1990 to 2021, global deaths and DALYs of T2D attributable to behavioral risks increased by 133.87% and 187.68%. The greatest rises in ASMR and ASDR occurred in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and Southern Sub-Saharan Africa. Dietary risks remained the primary contributor, whereas the T2D burden attributable to high alcohol use exhibited the steepest increase from 1990 to 2021. The global ASMR and ASDR increased exponentially with age and were consistently higher in males. Projections from the BAPC model indicate that ASDR is expected to continue increasing through 2050.ConclusionT2D burden attributable to behavioral risks is increasing rapidly, underscoring the need for targeted interventions and public health education.