Focus of the Study
Nowadays, diabetes is one of the most serious healthcare concerns. According to the findings of the World Health Organization (2016a), type II diabetes affects the lives of around 8 percent of adults around the globe. It means that more than 422 million people in different countries require help in combating the disease. Moreover, more than 80 percent of diabetes mellitus instances are registered in countries with low and middle income (World Health Organization, 2016b). Among them, more than 1 million people are suffering from type II diabetes in the United Arab Emirates (International Diabetes Federation, 2015). Due to the severity of the problem, primary attention should be paid to preventative measures. However, to develop and promote them, an in-depth understanding of the causes of type II diabetes is essential.
The education and financial status of an individual are often seen as factors that lead to increased risks of type II diabetes (Rivera, Rosenbaum, & Rosela, 2015; Saydah & Lohner, 2010). They are major determinants of socioeconomic status because their social value remains unchanged over time (Saydah, Imperatore, & Beckles, 2013). Nevertheless, socioeconomic status is a complex multi-dimensional phenomenon that influences a position occupied by an individual in a community. Except for the level of education and income, it as well includes immigration status, age, gender, and ethnic background (Rivera et al., 2015). Because of the comprehensiveness of this concept and severity of the problem, this study will take into account only two determinants of socioeconomic status – education and income because they are easy to estimate. That said, qualitatively, what is the influence of socioeconomic status on susceptibility to type II diabetes, and how can healthcare institutions and policymakers use it to combat this modern-day epidemic?
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of the study is to deepen an understanding of factors that determine susceptibility to type II diabetes. It will focus on investigating experiences of people living in the United Arab Emirates, a country with predominantly high incomes, to find out whether there is a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and predisposition to diabetes. A major goal is to help doctors, policymakers, and ordinary people to become more conscious of the causes of type II diabetes and launch a productive educational program that will help eliminate manageable risks and combat the epidemic of this health concern. My hope is that this paper will be useful for putting an end to health disparities and improving the lives of thousands of ordinary people.
Preliminary Research Questions
To achieve the research objective and carry out the study as planned, the following research questions will be addressed:
- What are the determinants of socioeconomic status in a high-income country like the United Arab Emirates?
- What are the primary causes of type II diabetes that are linked to socioeconomic status?
- What is the influence of socioeconomic status on the risk of type II diabetes?
- What other socioeconomic factors (outside of education and income level) might contribute to the success of combating the type II diabetes epidemic?
Potential Significance and Design
This research will help obtain an in-depth understanding of type II diabetes and its causes connected to socioeconomic status. My general approach to this study is to conduct a comprehensive investigation based on a thorough literature review and interviewing those having diabetes mellitus with the aim of determining the impact of educational background and income level on susceptibility to this disease. Stress will be laid on people living in the United Arab Emirates to find out whether the influence of socioeconomic factors on increased risks of type II diabetes is as high as it is in low- and middle-income countries. No stress will be laid on gender and age to obtain an apprehension of the overall situation in the UAE healthcare sector. However, only those who were diagnosed with diabetes mellitus during the last five years will be interviewed. The rationale behind this decision is the desire to minimize the risks of drawing inaccurate conclusions connected to the overextended timeframe.
References
International Diabetes Federation. (2015). United Arab Emirates. Web.
Rivera, L. A., Rosenbaum, M., & Rosela, L. C. (2015). The influence of socioeconomic status on future risk for developing Type 2 diabetes in the Canadian population between 2011 and 2022: differential associations by sex. International Journal for Equity in Health, 14(1), 101-112.
Saydah, S. H., Imperatore, G., & Beckles, G. L. (2013). Socioeconomic status and mortality. Diabetes Care, 36(1), 49-55.
Saydah, S., & Lohner, K. (2010). Socioeconomic status and risk of diabetes-related mortality in the U.S. Public Health Reports, 125(3), 377-388.
World Health Organization. (2016a). Diabetes: Fact sheet. Web.
World Health Organization. (2016b). World health day 2016: Beat diabetes. Web.