Prevalence of the Disease
Diabetes is one of the leading public health concerns globally. Type 2 diabetes has a considerable impact on the quality of life and finances of an individual. Urbanization and economic development globally are suspected to be the leading causes of the disease burden. Diabetes has a prevalence rate of 6059 cases per 100,000 people, and it is estimated that it causes 1 million deaths annually (Khan et al., 2020).
The burden of the disease is on the constant rise worldwide (Khan et al., 2020). Western Europe and other developed regions, such as the United States, South Korea, and Taiwan, are the most affected areas by the disease. The disease is nonselective regarding gender, and its distribution across genders is equal. The peak of the incidence of the disease is estimated to occur at around 55 years of age. It is projected that the global prevalence of type 2 diabetes in 2030 will rise from 6059 to 100,000 people (Khan et al., 2020). This increase indicates that the disease is steadily rising across all world regions.
Risks and Protective Factors of Type 2 Diabetes
The risk of type 2 diabetes is influenced by several factors globally. One of the risks associated with developing type 2 diabetes is a sedentary lifestyle and consumption of unhealthy diets. This is most evident in the United States and Italy.
Consumption of unhealthy foods and a sedentary lifestyle are key factors in increasing the Body Mass Index. People with a high Body Mass Index are at a higher risk of contracting type 2 diabetes (Khan et al., 2020). Another risk factor that contributes to the development of type 2 diabetes is the age of an individual. Diabetes tends to develop in older people than in young people. Apart from age, family history also plays a critical role in the disease’s burden due to an individual’s genetic makeup.
The study suggests that preventing new cases of type 2 diabetes may not be effective. Most interventions employed to prevent people from contracting the disease have also failed. According to the study, changes in individuals’ diets and lifestyles due to urbanization and economic development are implicated. For an individual to lead a healthy lifestyle, they need to consume a balanced diet and nutritious food that can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. As a protective measure, people can reduce their consumption of processed foods, sugary snacks, and beverages.
Another preventive factor that can be put in place to help control the incidence of type 2 diabetes is resource allocation. The authors of this study suggest that governments need to allocate resources to help prevent diabetes compared to the expenditure the governments spend on treating the disease. These resources will aid in strengthening primary care and restructuring the community to support a healthy way of living and nutrition, which are likely cost-effective.
Population at Risk
Diabetes, like any other disease, can affect any person within society, irrespective of their age or gender. According to a study by the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, Seattle, in 2017, 6.28 percent of the world population, corresponding to about 462 million people, were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes (Khan et al., 2020). Of this population, 4.4 percent were people aged between 15 and 49, 15 percent between 50 and 69, and 22 percent were above 70 (Khan et al., 2020). This indicates that older people are at a higher risk of contracting the disease than young people. Study Methodology, Data Collection, and Potential Sources of Bias
Study Method
The study involved a review of data from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington, Seattle, as a study method. The data collection process involved reviewing the institute’s GBD dataset. The dataset obtained from the institution is often maintained and updated based on new epidemiology studies, government publications, and research from more than 100,000 sources (Khan et al., 2020).
The study used the latest data from the database, which included annual figures from 1990 to 2017 for type 2 diabetes for all regions (Khan et al., 2020). The potential bias of using literature reviews as a data collection method is publication bias, which can result in over-representing specific findings. For instance, in this study, the data obtained from the institute may have excluded the studies with no significant results in their publications, leading to an overrepresentation of specific findings.
Alternative Methodology
Researchers interested in studying type 2 diabetes can use a prospective cohort study as a methodology for their research. This method is essential in this kind of research as it allows the researchers to investigate the relationship between a given risk factor and the development of type 2 diabetes. By following the study participants over a long period, the researchers can obtain more substantial evidence for causality.
The research method can collect data such as medical history, demographic characteristics, body weight, blood pressure, age, and sex, among other data that may be needed for the study. One of the biases that may arise from using this method in research is the selection bias. The selection of the participants can cause bias if they are not carefully selected to represent the targeted population of the study.
Reference
Khan, M. A. B., Hashim, M. J., King, J. K., Govender, R. D., Mustafa, H., & Al Kaabi, J. (2020). Epidemiology of type 2 diabetes – Global burden of disease and forecasted trends. Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health. 10(1), 107-111. Web.