The Diabetes Stages of Change - Assignment Example

DIABETES AND ENDOCRINOLOGY Diabetes and Endocrinology The aim of the research was to evaluate the effects of behavior change towards control of type 2 Diabetes (Linda, et al, 2013, p.8). The research was also aimed at encouraging new behaviors to intervene in the increased cases of type 2 diabetes. The research was conducted in the local authority in a setting of leisure and community (Linda, et al, 2013, p.9). The setting was intentionally chosen since in England, they are socioeconomically stripped and ranked top ten in the United Kingdom. Diabetes is preventable by changes in lifestyles but the change is hampered by many challenges(Barnett, 2011, p. 4). The lifestyle changes involve physical activity, balanced diets and loss of weight or the commonly called obesity. The research concluded that with 12 months follow ups the proposed lifestyle changes had significant positive effects towards control and prevention of type 2 diabetes. The research used the intervention design that was appropriate and served the purpose of addressing the aims of the research (Linda, et al, 2013, p.10). The research brought together a group of people that were assessed individually on the risk of type 2 diabetes. The New Leadership New York that is a competent group in the UK did the assessment. The selected population was required to be assessment weekly while those at high risks were assessment twice every week. The diet, weight and waist size of the population was recorded on each assessment. The NLNY involved the selected population with a half an hour practice session that was followed by a group reflection of the same period. The practice session involved a gym activities and cookery sessions and was very relevant since the research aimed at the two activities in relation to type 2 diabetes (Mokdad and Bowman, 2001, p.1196). The design was viewed as a ‘do and reflect’ model since the trainers demonstrated the activities and gave chance to the selected population to rehearse the activities (National Diabetes Data Group, 2013, p.1041). The design was flexible since it gave chance to the selected population to choose the physical activities of their choice The selected population went through a lot of education and on completion of the training, they were also allowed to access gyms for free. After the training, follow up plans by the NLNY were made through texts and emails to remind the trained individuals on the maintenance of lifestyle changes . Interviews were conducted after six months to evaluate on the level of success in terms of fighting diabetes to the trained individuals. This approves the research design since it is complete in nature. The method of data collection was very clear since the data was collected from 15 participants in interviews lasting between forty-five minutes and one hour. A topic guide was developed from the European diabetes prevention study and hence the data collected proving an adequate ground. Participants were allowed to train and revisit the areas they did not understand as well as give their own views showing the explicitness in the method used. The questions in the interviews were systematic flowing from general questions to specific questions and finally prompt. Data collection methods were clear and the setting was justified(Linda, et al, 2013, p.20).The research was however limited since the study size was relatively small as compared to the population in the country although this was a result of financial crisis (Jones, 2003, p.735). Not all the participants successfully completed the intervention due to time constraints. The interviews having taken place in leisure centers did not priory invite the participants and hence convenience was a problem.(Graber, Brown, and Wolff, 2010, p. 13) The research did not take into consideration ethical issues since no sufficient details are provided to the reader on ethical standards. However, the researcher states that the Newcastle University Ethics Committee approved the research ethically (Linda, et al, 2013, p.20). The data collected was interpreted to produce conclusions on the effects of healthy eating and practice to vulnerability to diabetes. The positive results of exercise at the gym and good eating habits by the targeted population indicated that the conditions such diabetes were easily preventable by simple measures (Vallis and Ruggiero, 2003, p.1469). The conclusions provided were credible beyond doubts since the data collection methods were valid and reliable. The intervention design acted like a life situation and hence its results are believable. The data provided in the research despite being reliable cannot be used solely and would require more support from information in the medical Centre. The results of the research conform to the theory that was being proven (Raj, Roger and Colin, .2013.p.59). The method of data analysis was simple since the results were analyzed on weekly basis and hence making of conclusions was easy. The method by which themes were derived from the results of the research is clear (Linda, et al, 2013, p.19). The data collected was sufficient to make conclusions since the samples were random and the study areas were selected from a good understanding of the topic. The findings of the research were aimed at developing participation in behavioral change. The findings were explicit and highlighted on social influence and role towards control of diabetes (McCulley, 2005, p.21). The findings of the research showed that intervention cost was not comparable to cost of medication. Any research done has both and advantage, a disadvantage, and this research is not an exception. The main limitation of the study was that the sample size used from the population was very small to make conclusion with. The researcher only used 15 participants to carry out the research and assumed the characteristic on these individuals would represent the whole population. On the other hand, the research was advantageous since it was able to prove the thesis placed by the researcher. His argument that exercise and healthy eating would help control the chances of being diabetic was proved by the research. The results recorded in table two shows that most individuals had the knowledge on the benefits of losing weight but did not prioritise it in their lives but after the research and the education they left the place with appositive view on weight loss. The results on table 2 shows that the working status influenced the rate of response to exercise and healthy eating but this effect was not consistent since some participant’s response proved otherwise. Another confounding factor was that the researcher concluded that the BIM factor influenced the PA baseline a factor that is bias from the results in table 2 since it was not consistent on all the 15 people. The results of the research could also be considered bias since the PA of five people was measured before twelve months. The research is very valuable since diabetes affects many people and leads to deaths or medicated lives. The results of the research add knowledge the existing information and can be directly transferred to other populations (Stern, 2001, p.370). The research concluded that behavioral changes were necessary towards intervention optimization. For there to be a diabetes free generation, there must be good eating habits and a lot of exercise. References Barnett, A. H. 2011. Type 2 diabetes.Oxford University Press. Oxford categories of glucose intolerance. Diabetes, Vol28 no 12 pp 1039-1057. Graber, A. L., Brown, A. W., and Wolff, K. 2010. A life of control: Stories of living with diabetes. Vanderbilt University Press. Nashville Jones, H., (2003). Changes in diabetes self-care behaviors make a difference in glycemic control the diabetes stages of change (DiSC) study. Diabetes care, Vol26 no3 pp 732-737. Linda, P., et al .2013. “Participants’ perspectives on making and maintaining behavioral changes in a lifestyle intervention for type 2 diabetes prevention: a qualitative study using the theory domain framework”. Diabetes and endocrinology.Vol 3, no 6, pp 7-37 Linda, P., Vicky, R. and Martin, W. 2013. Feasibility, acceptability and outcomes at a 12-month follow-up of a novel community-based intervention to prevent type 2 diabetes in adults at high risk: mixed methods pilot study .vol 3, no 11, pp 103-108 McCulley, D. W. 2005. Death to diabetes: The 6 stages of type 2 diabetes, control and reversal. BookSurge. North Charleston Mokdad, A. H. and Bowman, B. A. (2001).The continuing epidemics of obesity and diabetes in the United States.Jama, vol286 no10, pp1195-1200. National Diabetes Data Group. 2013. Classification and diagnosis of diabetes mellitus and other Raj,S., Roger,W., and Colin, M .2013. “Changes in cardiovascular risk factors in relation to increasing ethnic inequalities in cardiovascular mortality: comparison of cross-sectional data in the Health Surveys for England 1999 and 2004”.public health.Vol 3, no 9 , pp 56-69 Stern, M. P. (2001). Diabetes and cardiovascular disease: the “common soil” hypothesis. Diabetes, Vol44, no 4, pp 369-374. Vallis, M. and Ruggiero, L. 2003.Stages of Change for Healthy Eating in Diabetes Relation to demographic, eating-related, health care utilization, and psychosocial factors.Diabetes Care, vol26no 5, pp1468-1474. Read More