Background and Significance of the Problem
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 in minimizing the incidences. However, with an increasing population and the strain on the available resources to support health living, the prevalence rates have remained stagnant. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic illnesses that has 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 (U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2015). 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).
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 on 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). The purpose of this research 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).
Problem statement: While health promotion education techniques on dietary choices and physical activity are important in the prevention of diabetes and its related complications, these techniques have not been optimally utilized at the community level to help avert the continued increase in diabetes prevalence.
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, what is the impact of health promotion education on diet and physical activity influencing the risk of developing diabetes complications during their life time compared to no health promotion education on diet and physical activity, influencing the risk of developing diabetic complications during their life time?”
Hypothesis: Research and Null
Research hypothesis: Health promotion education focused on dietary and physical activity will decrease the risk of diabetic complications during the participants’ lifetime.
Null hypothesis: Health promotion education focused on dietary and physical activity will not decrease the risk of diabetic complication during the participants’ lifetime.
Identifying and Defining Study Variables
The study will incorporate two major variables that will be assessed to determine the importance of the study.
Independent variable: Health promotion education activity that focuses on dietary and physical activity
Dependent variable: Risk for diabetic complications.
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 method approaches (4th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: 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: Medline Plus. Retrieved from
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/diabetes.html
