Diabetes in Children: The Prevalence and Prevention - Research Proposal Example

Proposal Problem to be Researched: The increasing prevalence of type diabetes among elementary school-age white children in the U.S. Brief : A new study reports that the prevalence of type 1 diabetes has sharply escalated among white children in the U.S. aged between 5 and 9 years old. Viral exposure, low vitamin D levels, and other dietary factors contribute significantly to this phenomenon. First, exposure to cytomegalovirus, coxsackie virus, or Epstein-Barr virus may cause autoimmune damage to the islet cells.

Second, studies report that early consumption of sources of vitamin D, such as cow’s milk, is associated with greater risk of type 1 diabetes. Third, dietary factors, such as how early or late cereal was introduced into a baby’s diet or drinking water that has nitrates could affect a child’s vulnerability to type 1 diabetes. Thesis: Viral exposure, low vitamin D levels, and other dietary factors contribute significantly to the increasing prevalence of type 1 diabetes among elementary school-age white children in the U.S.Three supporting elements:Viral exposureLow vitamin D levelsOther dietary factors (e.g. drinking water with nitrates)Location and Type of ResourcesLocation: medical databases (e.g. WebMD, Mayo Clinic, science daily, etc.), government websites (e.g. CDC), online libraries (e.g. Questia, ProQuest, EbscoHost, SAGE)Type of Resources: peer-reviewed journal articles, medical articles, empirical studies, government reports, academic textbooksChallenges to the Research: Researchers have stated that there is a need to further research on the causes of the increase in the prevalence of type 1 diabetes among white children in the U.S., hence existing literature on the subject could be anecdotal at best or empirical findings could be inconclusive.

Therefore, the researcher should consider spending resources for the gathering of firsthand information through specific methodologies (e.g. interviews, surveys, etc.) in order to verify existing findings.