Evaluating Type 2 Diabetes Risk Perception in the British South Asian General Population: A mixed methodology approach for intervention development

Abstract

Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) is a significant public health concern with a high prevalence within the UK South Asian (SA) population. Previous research has highlighted that SA people ‘s behaviour might be influenced by Culture and Genetic factors. However, studies are still on-going to find out why the SA ethnic group has a higher prevalence compared to other ethnic groups. There is limited research exploring Risk Perception (RP) of T2D in the SA community. The overall PhD aim was to understand the complexities of RP in the SA community and to develop and test an intervention to change RP and hence improve T2D prevention behaviours for the SA general population. This PhD thesis presents a number of studies which each explored specific aspects of RP and preventative behaviours in the SA population. New understanding has been created through the completion of a literature review evaluating the previous literature on T2D RP and prevention. In addition to this, a combination of Quantitative and Qualitative studies (mixed methods) explored multiple perspectives of RP and prevention behaviours in the SA population. Each study offered a unique contribution to the evidence-base and presented new knowledge, to develop a thorough and comprehensive understanding of the overall PhD aim. Overall, preventative behaviours are influenced by various dimensions of RP, predominantly Locus of Control (LoC). The findings are discussed with reference to psychological theories. Based on these findings, and in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, an intervention was developed using the Medical Research Council (MRC) framework and the ‘person-based’ approach. A call for further research to roll-out the intervention within a real-world context is required and understand the relevance of this research applied to T2D prevention settings.