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Research opportunity

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Gillian_Researcher

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Hi everyone,

I am still looking for people to participate in a research study about diabetes and online resources:

Are you between 18 and 30?
Do you have experience of diabetes?

If the answer is yes to both, we would really like to hear what you think about online health resources and your experiences of looking online for health information.

Would you like to participate in an interview, lasting around an hour, at a time and place convenient to you, to share your views and experiences?
If you do, please contact me, Gillian Fergie, by Private Message ? I am a researcher from the MRC Social and Public Health Sciences Unit and the University of Glasgow. I will give you more information about the project and how you can participate and I can answer any questions you have.

You will receive a ?25 shopping voucher for participating

Thanks very much.
 
is it ok that im 30 🙂 and is it type 1 or 2 oreientated?
 
My 'head' age is 17, but my passport tells me I'm way over the upper age limit!
 
Oh I'm a year older than you LeeLee. I can LEGALLY go in pubs. :D

And drawing my pension !
 
Wonder why Gillian is ignoring the very people who actually started and still facilitate many of the online resources!

We may be ancient now, but we started looking on the net cos we were in trouble too.
 
All the people they are after are in spain on one of those holidays (18-30). Sorry Gillian ! Why so young ? I have been at this 47 years i would as others help do some reaserch 🙂
 
trophywench said:
Wonder why Gillian is ignoring the very people who actually started and still facilitate many of the online resources!

We may be ancient now, but we started looking on the net cos we were in trouble too.
Click to expand...

It's been my experience that Facebook seems to be more of the place to go for help and support amongst the younger generation these days, which I think is a bit of a pity as I don't think it offers the same kind of continuity and security as forums like ours (presuming they are managed well!). On FB people appear out of the blue, ask a question, get an answer or two from people they may know nothing about and who know nothing of their personal history, and away they go. Here, when a question is asked it begins a conversation that can be easily referenced and returned to, even years after it was started. Also, I think that the FB groups tend to be more filtered in their audience e.g. only T1s, or T1s of a certain age at Uni etc. I don't think there is anything wrong with these groups, but I think that using a variety of platforms for discussion would give people a bigger pool of experience to draw on. Having said that, we do have a large number of younger members and when once asked the question about what age group predominates here I was stuck for the answer because we have members ranging from early teens to late 70s!

Just my take on it - perhaps Gillian is looking into this type of phenomenon 🙂

This is an interesting article about the use of social media and peer support for LTCs, although it also narrows its brief to T1:

http://spectrum.diabetesjournals.org/content/25/3/180.full
 
Well seen as my questions got ignored I guess it's for type 1s
 
Steff said:
Well seen as my questions got ignored I guess it's for type 1s
Click to expand...

Sorry Steff, just seen this - I'm pretty sure it's both types, why not PM her and ask, it would be great if you could help out 🙂
 
I suspect there's several reasons why they could be looking at such a tightly focused group.

Firstly, it's just basic demographics - it's an easier sample to manage, statistically speaking.

Secondly, without knowing what the survey is for precisely, it's hard to comment, but it could be a case that this research has been commissioned specifically to find out how to deliver health advice to people in their 20s - it may be that at this stage whoever's behind the project either has a specific goal in mind or they feel the information provision for those in other demographics is well covered. I would say that there is a paucity of information for those with diabetes who are likely to encounter many new experiences for the first time in their late teens/early 20s - leaving home, cooking for yourself, sex, drugs & rock 'n' roll....all this stuff is new to most people aged 18 and if you throw in diabetes as well, it's even more of a challenge. That isn't to belittle the challenges anyone else faces, regardless of type or age and I'm sure there are exceptions to every rule but the point is most people over 30 with diabetes have probably already gone through all this stuff once and any experience they have of researching about this online when they were 18 will be over a decade out of date and therefore likely to be no longer relevant.

Another possibility is that they might be looking to see how easily young people who are getting a bit of disposable income for the first time might fall for the various scams or bogus information out there. It's also worth bearing in mind that this is the demographic disproportionately affected by diabulemia.

So there's a whole bunch of potential reasons why the survey is limited. I wouldn't take it personally if they're not interested in someone's particular experiences on the grounds of type or age. So what if this researcher isn't interested? There's plenty of people who will be - this forum, for one!
 
Hello, I totally understand your concerns about the age range being a bit exclusive. I think you are both right there is lots of interesting research to be done around online resources and people of all ages! For this project, however, the focus is on young adults, since some argue this is a time of transition. Although I'm sure many of us undergo lots of different transition stages at many phases of our lives. In particular, the research aims to suggest areas of convergence and divergence across online resources aimed at young adults by provider organisations and young adults own perceptions and experiences.

If any of my colleagues are doing research with different age groups I will send them your way!
 
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Well you lot are making me feel young 'cos I just sneak in at 30, so I've arranged to meet her this week while I still can.....
 
LOL Lizzzie !

Deus, if only the internet had been invented/available before I was 30......

What I myself know from that source didn't start til 2007 as it happens because prior to that the net was full of people telling me to eat cinnamon to cure meself so I actually totally avoided using it for D purposes - whilst simultaneously using it constantly for many many other things - till I was absolutely up a gum tree without a paddle and didn't have a leg to stand on - and I still had to kiss a lot of on-line frogs before I actually found an on-line Prince!

Gillian - thanks!

Was just thinking, both this forum and another UK diabetes one (another non-profit no adverts one, but not connected with DUK) I infest are administrated by people well over 30. The other was actually set up in the first place by two such people, all the forum and website software was done by them too.

I spose it's like sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, isn't it? Young people always imagine they invented it all - and no-one "old" has ever enjoyed them ! (or might still do so - how gross ! 😱 )
 
Was just thinking, both this forum and another UK diabetes one (another non-profit no adverts one, but not connected with DUK) I infest are administrated by people well over 30.
Click to expand...

I suppose that's a demographic issue - statistically, if you're using a diabetes forum, you're likely to have diabetes and probability therefore suggests you're probably over 40 and have T2 because that's who make up the majority of people with D.

What I myself know from that source didn't start til 2007 as it happens because prior to that the net was full of people telling me to eat cinnamon to cure meself so I actually totally avoided using it for D purposes - whilst simultaneously using it constantly for many many other things - till I was absolutely up a gum tree without a paddle and didn't have a leg to stand on - and I still had to kiss a lot of on-line frogs before I actually found an on-line Prince!
Click to expand...

It's a question of luck, I guess. I've found quite a lot of good info online for a very long time - there's a few people here who will know me from another board where I've been active since 2003 and I picked up a lot of really good diabetes advice right from day one. It's particularly been interesting as it's given me a way to sample how healthcare is done in other places (it's an American forum) and as I'm sure we're all aware, it's a real mixed bag in the States, they're very forward thinking in some areas and really behind in others. I've certainly learned more about diet from 10 minutes talking with Americans with diabetes than I have in 14 years with British dieticians.
 
DeusXM said:
I suppose that's a demographic issue - statistically, if you're using a diabetes forum, you're likely to have diabetes and probability therefore suggests you're probably over 40 and have T2 because that's who make up the majority of people with D.
Click to expand...

Actually, the members who make up this forum are split almost half and half between the two main types. I think that may be partly because of the problems presented with various insulin regimes for Type 1s, (or T2s on basal bolus), but the T2s don't constitute the majority as many are of a generation less inclined to join internet forums (I know quite a few of my peers who have virtually no online presence, and quite a few older T2s who just believe whatever their doctor/nurse tells them, whether it's working or not).

Although our own membership is pushing 10k, it still only scratches the surface of those who would benefit - I do wish we could persuade more to participate and discover those benefits!

Latest monthly stats I have for January 2013 are:

Code: 
Forum	Mbrs	Threads	Posts	 + + +
Ours	9219	32798	406381	331	987	7309
DSF UK	962	2968	48075	29	162	2240
DDaily	91829	64274	622777	2049	569	5956
DCUK 	48992	30435	303502	2273	744	6863

Given that there are 25m with diabetes in the US, even Diabetes Daily's 90k members is relatively low. Of course, I'm sure there are many, many people who browse forums but don't join any, so the memberships may understate the audience.
 
Hmm - how many are 'Active' members though !
 
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