Defining the Problem and Research Methods: Type 1 Diabetes

The Problem

Outline of the Environment

There is great concern about the increasing cases of type 1 diabetes. Children are identified as the group most vulnerable to this disease. It has social, personal and economic complications that call for control initiatives to be established to limit the risks of short and long term complications. This study targets the school environment as one of the places with high rate of vulnerability. Since children spend much of their time at school, managing their diabetes by regularly monitoring their blood sugar level, provision of proper diet and administering insulin can be effective in the school environment. Lawrence, Cummings, Pacaud, Lynk, and Metzger (2015) state that it is necessary to set minimum standards for care and supervision to support children who are suffering from type 1 diabetes. Statistics show that one of every 300 children suffers from diabetes (Lawrence et al., 2015). Since there is a lot of interaction between students and school personnel, the personnel are in a better position to notice the symptoms of undiagnosed diabetes. Targeting schools with the initiatives aimed at managing type 1 diabetes can help to curb the implications of the disease as its symptoms, such as weight loss, frequent thirst and excessive urination, are recognized early enough to allow for early medical assessment (Lawrence et al., 2015).

Summary of Type 1 Diabetes in Terms of Person, Place, Time, and the Magnitude of the Problem

Type 1 diabetes is considered as a common chronic disease in childhood. It results from deficiency of insulin due to the problems with the insulin-producing pancreatic beta cells. Those who are mostly affected by the disease, as mentioned earlier, are children whereas adults account for about one-fourth of the cases. There are notable variations in the cases of type 1 diabetes based on the place, time, person and the magnitude of the disease.

With respect to the place or aspects of geographical differences, there are variations of the incidences of type 1 diabetes all over the world. For instance, in the case of China and Europe, El-Ziny, Salem, El-Hawary, Chalaby, and Elsharkawy (2014) suggest that the vulnerability to the disease increases with an increase in the geographical latitude. The difference is not witnessed in the U.S. It is believed that moving from a region of low exposure level to a region of high level of exposure increases people’s risk of developing type 1 diabetes. It signifies the perception that one’s place of residence or geographical location impacts on his or her level of exposure to type 1 diabetes. The risk cannot be entirely explained using geographical locations and their causative role in contacting type 1 diabetes. It is because people who live in the same area and confirmed to be suffering from the disease have been realized to show several. According to Gale (2002), the inconsistencies observed among the people show that besides geographical location and the latitude there are other factors involved.

Looking at the person and time, the research shows that people’s likelihood of suffering from type 1 diabetes varies (Liese, Lawson & Song, et al., 2010). Some people are considered more prone to the diseases than others. The variance in people’s level of susceptibility is mainly attributed to genetic inheritance. For example, an individual whose immediate relative suffers from type 1 diabetes has higher chances of developing the disease than the one whose direct relatives are safe from the disease. It is believed that those whose immediate family members suffer from type 1 diabetes are 10 or 20 times more likely to suffer from the disease compared to the general population (Liese et al., 2010). In case a child suffers from the disease, the possibility that his or her brother or sister can acquire the disease is one to ten. If it is a mother that suffers from type 1 diabetes, the possibilities of her children acquiring the disease is reduced in comparison to a situation where it is the father who has diabetes. In terms of time, the research also shows that if a mother is diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when she is at the age of 25 or under, the risk of developing the disease for her newborn baby reduces to 4 % that is 1 to 10 (Liese et al., 2012). If a child is born after the diagnosed mother has passed the age of 25, the risk drops to the ratio of 1 to 10 that is almost similar to average American (Eisenbarth, 2007). Children are at higher risk of acquiring the disease if any of the parents had the disease at the age of 11 or under.

Looking at the magnitude of the type 1 diabetes problem, statistics show worrying rates at which people develop type 1 diabetes. Lawrence et al. (2015) state that in America the rate is recorded as 1 to 10 on average. The high rate of developing the disease calls for close attention to be given to children that are at the highest risk of developing the disease. People should not think that the problem goes away when children go to school. As such, it is necessary to equip school staff, starting from the teachers, health personnel and drivers among others with information about students suffering from the disease so that they can attend to the needs of such students. Averagely, at least 13,000 young people are diagnosed with type 1 diabetes every year (Liese et al., 2010). It means that if the disease is left unchecked, it is likely to claim many lives with its implications felt globally. Schools should have at least one member of staff who can inject insulin, check students’ blood glucose and know the necessary food that student’s with low glucose levels can be given.

Research Question/Hypothesis

The research question is: Is there a significantly increased risk of developing Type 1 diabetes for people with a family history compared to people without a family history of Type 1 diabetes?

Research Methods

Epidemiologic Study Design

According to Pearce (2012), the epidemiological study designs that are commonly used in medical literature are mainly grouped as observational or experimental. Observational study design is suitable because it necessitates systematic observation and collection of information by a researcher without an attempt to change the sample being observed. Experimental design involves a researcher’s intervention to alter something in the characteristics of the sample or their environment to observe what happens as a result of the intervention. Apart from the main study designs, there are other subtypes that the researcher may choose to use. However, it is essential to note that medical research calls for either observation of subjects or undertaking experiments. For the purpose of this research, well-designed observational studies can be used to understand the causes of the disease. A weakness of the design is that it fails to justify the causes. To ensure that the research is extensive enough, a cohort study can be conducted. The study can help to monitor the natural progression of the disease and to look at the risk factors.

Assessment Strategies

This study seeks to use a prospective cohort study that is regarded as a tool that is equipped with necessary applications that are viable for conducting epidemiological studies. In the study, cohort individuals who have specific exposure characteristics will be compared with other individuals who do not have the exposure characteristics. The comparison will follow a design of a longitudinal study. When doing an assessment for the strategy, three main steps will be followed. First, it will be necessary to know the comparison groups of the study. The groups can include a treatment group compared to a control group, two treatment groups compared to a control group with different treatment groups. Step two involves assessing how confounding variables impact the study and the third step will involve looking at the analytical strategy to be used for conducting a result assessment.

Summary of Data Collection Activities

To actualize the objective of this study, it is necessary to rely on valid data collected from a well derived population sample. The study calls for an extensive use of interviews and questionnaires. It is important to be flexible to ensure effective data collection. It enables a researcher to adopt different data collection tools and engagement in new data collection activities. The researchers should always work with the convenience of the respondents in mind. It means that activities can change due to unpredicted challenges experienced in the course of data collection. For example, a researcher can use online survey method of data collection for the limitless data collection capacity. Online surveys are mostly undertaken when a part of the sample population cannot be physically reached. The magnitude of the subject under study necessitates access to data from respondents who are far away. In some cases, it is easy for a researcher to have physical interaction with his or her respondents. Under a likely scenario, the researcher will adopt a paper/pen approach of data collection. It gives additional value as the researcher can observe the emotional appeal of a respondent. Better still, questionnaires can be mailed to respondents via e-mail. When questionnaires are emailed to the respondent or a section of the respondents, the time frame will be set for the return of the questionnaires for the purpose of analysis. The choice of an activity will depend on the prevailing circumstances. The researcher will need to be sensitive about environmental, social and political changes in the study environment so as to be engaged in appropriate data collection activities.