Understanding pre-diabetes from the patient’s perspective

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Understanding pre-diabetes from the patient’s perspective: A mixed-methods study aimed at improving the success of diabetes prevention programmes.

  • IRAS ID

    242219

  • Contact name

    Eleanor Barry

  • Contact email

    eleanor.barry@phc.ox.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Oxford

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    4 years, 9 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Background
    Preventing type 2 diabetes is a major national priority. Diabetes rates are highest in deprived and minority ethnic groups. Lifestyle interventions have not been successful in reducing diabetes level in these groups. The reasons behind this lack of success are poorly understood. Few published studies have considered how pre-diabetes diagnosis is communicated to people, how people react to the diagnosis, or how their efforts to implement lifestyle change is influenced by socio-cultural context. Yet understanding this context and how people make choices about their lifestyles is key to the success of diabetes prevention policies.

    Aim
    To inform prevention programmes for type 2 diabetes with a richer understanding of how the diagnosis of
    pre-diabetes affects people’s feelings, attitudes and behaviour in different socio-cultural contexts.

    Design and Methods
    Work Package 1: Focus groups of Healthcare Professionals to explore how they inform people of their pre-diabetes diagnosis.

    Work Package 2: Qualitative research in 30 people with pre-diabetes from identified high risk areas.
    Three qualitative methods:
    • narrative interviews (in which participants tell stories);
    • ‘cultural probes’ (in which participants use cameras, scrapbooks and other tools to build a picture of
    what is important in their lives);
    • ‘go along’ interviews (in which the participant takes the researcher on a journey around their local area).
    These methods will provide insights into how ‘pre-diabetes’ affects identity, aspects of daily life and how peer relationships and material environments affect lifestyle choices.

  • REC name

    London - Surrey Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    18/LO/0479

  • Date of REC Opinion

    12 Apr 2018

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion