Background
Over the last two decades, lifestyle related illnesses have become a problematic issue for the healthcare sector. The calls for primary prevention mechanisms have achieved remarkable progress sin minimizing the incidences. However, with an increasing population and the strain on the available resources to support health living, the prevalence has at some point remained stagnant. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses that have been diagnosed substantially within the healthcare facilities (Chan & Woo, 2010). However, the emphasis on people to assume proactive roles in the management of health has also taken a significant stride. The justification for the prevention of diabetes has been based on the need to prevent or even postpone the complications related to diabetes as well as reduce the socioeconomic burden that the illnesses poses to the community and alleviate human suffering. All these effects are seen as a sure way to improve the quality of life of the populations across the lifespan (Kamimura, Christensen, Myers, Nourian, Ashby, Greenwood & Reel, 2014).
Significance of the Problem
Poor nutrition/dietary choices as well as the adoption of highly sedentary lifestyles are factors that have been associated with the manifestation of diabetes with diabetes as the primary illness or as a progression form a complications or condition such as obesity. The prevalence of diabetes or any of the related illnesses has been associated with an existing knowledge gap on the importance of appropriate dietary choices as well as involvement in physical exercise (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015). Inactive lifestyles coupled with poor dietary techniques are modifiable behaviors and these can be controlled or managed to help reduce the prevalence of diabetes. The focus on prevention strategies that equip the community with the skills and knowledge to prevent or manage these modifiable risk factors is based on the justification that they are affordable as well as effective in the mid and long term (Chan & Woo, 2010).
Statement of the Problem and Purpose of the Study Research
In the contemporary society setting, where socioeconomic demands have forced for easy choices, there has been notable compromise on the personal responsibility in the management of health. Individuals are more focused about their ambitions in life such as career goals as well as the pressure to sustain a decent livelihood based on the preexisting societal standards (Chan & Woo, 2010). These events have in one way or another led to a situation where health behaviors such as choice of appropriate diets as well as moderate exercise and physical activity to maintain a viable active body have been shunned or abandoned (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015). This study seeks to determine the importance of a community-based health promotion and disease prevention program that will adopt dietary and physical activity teaching as methods of prevention and minimization of risks for diabetic complications. The outcomes of quality of life, mortality and morbidity as well as the prevalence of related diabetic complications will be assessed to determine the effectiveness and efficiency of such a program (Kamimura, Christensen, Myers, Nourian, Ashby, Greenwood & Reel, 2014).
Research Questions, Hypothesis, and Variables with Operational Definitions
Research Question
Within any research, the researchers are objectively guided by a need to find an answer to a problematic issue. The purpose of such guidance is to ensure that in the research process which is significantly complex, the researchers do not deviate from the primary problem and that they remain within the context of seeking a viable answer. Research questions are utilized for this purpose and they help make decisions as to the data collection methods, design methods as well as data analysis methods that will be used in seeking the solution (Creswell, 2013). In this study, the guiding research question is stated as follows; “In patients with diabetes, how does health promotion and disease prevention as it relates to diet and physical activity teaching, compared to not having such education, influence the risk of developing diabetic complications, morbidity and mortality, during their life time?”
Population (P): In patients with diabetes
Intervention (I): How does health promotion and disease prevention as it relates to diet and physical activity teaching
Comparison (C): Compared to not having such education
Outcome (O): Influence the risk of developing diabetic complications, morbidity and mortality
Time (T): During their life time
Hypothesis: Research and Null
Research hypothesis: The integration of dietary and physical activity teaching as methods of health promotion and disease prevention aids significantly in the prevention of diabetes, related complications as well as reduction of morbidities and mortalities related to the same.
Null hypothesis: Dietary and physical activity teaching do not aid in the prevention of diabetes and its related complications if adopted as health promotion and disease prevention strategies.
Identifying and Defining Study Variables
The study will incorporate two major variables that will be assessed to determine the importance of the study. These include the Diabetes Knowledge Test and the Hemoglobin A1c levels scores. The Hemoglobin A1c levels are an indication of the presence or absence as well as risk of acquiring diabetes. Hemoglobin A1c is a measure of the blood sugar levels and any significant deviation from the normal Hemoglobin A1c particularly to the higher side will be regarded as risk of diabetes. Further, the Diabetes Knowledge Test will help assess how well the participants can make health decisions in regard to dietary choices as well as involvement in physical activity (Kamimura, Christensen, Myers, Nourian, Ashby, Greenwood & Reel, 2014). Since the study seeks to educate, then this test will offer a reference as to the quality of knowledge that the participants have gained over the course of the program.
Operationalize Variables
The variables will be assessed in pre-study period and recorded. The participants will be required to take the Diabetes Knowledge Test and this will be regarded as the baseline knowledge on dietary and physical activity knowledge in reference to obesity. The Hemoglobin A1c will be recorded at baseline too for each patient. At the end of the study, the Diabetes Knowledge Test will be administered once more and the results will be compared analytically. Similarly the Hemoglobin A1c will be recorded on a weekly basis for each of the participant so as to determine the small changes across the study period. These will be analyzed at the end of the study to help provide a comparison on which the researchers can argue whether the proposed intervention is suitable as a health promotion technique (Creswell, 2013).
References
Chan, R. S., & Woo, J. (2010). Prevention of overweight and obesity: how effective is the current public health approach. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 7(3), 765-783.
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches. Sage publications.
Kamimura, A., Christensen, N., Myers, K., Nourian, M. M., Ashby, J., Greenwood, J. L., & Reel, J. J. (2014). Health and diabetes self-efficacy: A study of diabetic and non-diabetic free clinic patients and family members.Journal of community health, 39(4), 783-791. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10900-014-9831-0
U.S. National Library of Medicine. (2015). Diabetes: MedlinePlus. Retrieved from https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetes.html
