Abstract:
ABSTRACT
INCREASING AWARENESS OF TYPE 2 DIABETES IN
ADOLESCENTS THROUGH THEATRE
by
Margaret Curry
Master of Science in Nursing
California State University, Chico
Spring 2009
Education and prevention of type 2 diabetes in the adolescent population
should be a high priority among school officials and healthcare providers. The purpose
of this research study was to educate adolescents on type 2 diabetes and to increase
awareness of this disease. The Health Promotion Model developed by Nola Pender was
the theoretical framework used in this study. This model applies behavioral science’s
understanding of learning to the area of health promotion.
A time series design was an appropriate choice for this study and specifically,
a one-group before-after design was used. The students were in seventh and
eighth grade and enrolled in physical education classes at a local elementary school.
There were 57 students recruited and 47 participants completed the study. The researcher
used a diabetes educational program geared towards kindergarten through
eighth grade. The
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students received a pre-test, watched an informational session and play on type 2 diabetes,
and completed a post-test. The researcher graded each test according to a standardized
answer sheet. All possible answers for the test were addressed during the lecture
portion of the performance. The graded test scores were collected and placed on an Excel
spreadsheet for data analysis.
The main goal of this study was to address the research question “will educating
seventh and eighth graders on type 2 diabetes increase their awareness of the disease?”
This awareness can be demonstrated through an increase in the students’ test
scores. An average pre-test score among the 47 subjects was 78%. After the informational
session and play, the average post-test scores were 82%. This was a 6% increase
from baseline testing. Although an encouraging statistic, this data was further explored.
The type 2 diabetes educational program used in this study was instrumental
in its design and execution. The strength of peer education in this program cannot be
understated. In this setting, students can make a difference in the lives of others. It is the
hope of the researcher that further study into the effectiveness of this program can be
pursued. The importance of this educational tool is far reaching and could be adopted
into other school districts. It is through knowledge and understanding that we might influence
our youth.
