Diabetes self-management in older adults with Type 2 Diabetes V.1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring the relationship between executive function, attitudes to ageing, glycaemic control and self management of Type 2 diabetes in older adults.
IRAS ID
168055
Contact name
Ashley L McColl
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 6 months, 29 days
Research summary
Over 132,870 people in Scotland over the age of 65 have Type 2 Diabetes; a long-term health condition requiring a high level of self-management to maintain healthy blood glucose levels to reduce the risk of complications. Self-management can be difficult for older adults with some researchers linking this to deficits in cognitive function. Another factor that has been associated with older adults’ engagement in health promoting behaviours is attitudes to ageing; with more negative attitudes being linked to poorer engagement in health promoting behaviours, and lower levels of subjective physical and mental wellbeing.
The current study is a cross-sectional design which aims to explore the relationship between cognitive function (particularly Executive Function), attitudes towards ageing, glycaemic control and self-management in older adults with Type 2 Diabetes. Adults over the age of 65 from the NHS Grampian region, who are currently managed in Primary and Secondary health services will be invited to complete a number of questionnaires measuring their attitudes to ageing, levels of emotional distress, illness perceptions and adherence to self-management regimens. Participants will also be invited to complete a number of brief cognitive tests at a single session with the Chief Investigator. This will facilitate the exploration of factors that put older adults at risk of struggling with diabetes self-management, and could enable clinicians to develop strategies to support older adults to overcome barriers to self-management.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
15/NS/0012
Date of REC Opinion
18 Mar 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion