Emotions and diabetes education in a low income population
Research type
Research Study
Full title
How do individuals on a low-income experience type 2 diabetes over time?: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.
IRAS ID
345737
Contact name
Charlotte Dack
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Bath
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Diabetes self-management education and support programmes (DSMES) can help people to manage the condition and prevent complications. However, many people, particularly those on a low-income, struggle to access and engage with this support. Research has shown that emotional barriers may be contributing to this. Therefore, this study aims to understand how individuals make sense of their type 2 diabetes over time through exploration of their emotional and psychological responses to the condition.
I will interview adults across the South West of England with type 2 diabetes who have low total household incomes (less than £34,000 per year). Interviews will take place on Microsoft Teams or phone call. In-person interviews will be arranged on request. Before the interviews, participants will be asked to create a timeline of their experiences with diabetes, including when they were diagnosed, key events, and their thoughts and feelings. The timeline will facilitate the conversations during interviews.
This study is designed to answer the following research questions: 1) How do individuals make sense of their lived experiences with type 2 diabetes throughout their timeline? How do individuals interpret their thoughts and feelings relating to diabetes education?
The study is expected to last 6-12 months, with participants engaged for approximately 60-90 minutes for the initial timeline exercise and interviews. Participants will only be expected to attend one interview each. Data will be analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis.
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - South Yorkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/YH/0137
Date of REC Opinion
7 Jul 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion