RESEARCH DESIGN 1

Research Design

Name

Institution

Course

Date
RESEARCH DESIGN 2

Research Design

When conducting a research, it is important for a researcher to follow a defined

approach or a clear pathway as this ensures higher success chances. Research designs allow

researchers to integrate different components of a research in a logical and coherent manner

ensuring that the research issue is effectively addresses. According to Tobi and Kampen

(2018), a research design constitutes the blueprint for data collection, measurement, and

analysis. Building on the research problem identified week 1, this assessment describes the

research design that will be employed in the study by restating the research question,

summarizing the research steps, describing the research type, explaining potential data, and

the relevance of data in explaining the research question.

Research Question

A research is based on a specific issue or problem for this case the high prevalence

and risk of diabetes. Using the research problem, a researcher generates a research question

which Grady (2021) describe as paramount in guiding a research process. For this study, the

author sough to answer one research question based on the PICOT format: “For adults aged

44 years and above (P), will healthy lifestyle practices (physical exercise and dietary

changes) (I) compared to lack of these practices (C) reduce the risk of developing diabetes

and improve management of diabetes (O) within one year (T)?” In answering this research

question, a quantitative research approach was deemed appropriate. Following a quantitative

research approach, a cross-sectional research design was adopted for the research.
RESEARCH DESIGN 3

Major Steps

Following the cross-sectional research design, several steps will be followed to

explore the issue and determine the effect of lifestyle changes on diabetes management and

prevention.

 Conceptual Phase: At this stage, several tasks are conducted including

problem identification, conducting a background research, developing a

research question following the PICOT format, formulating hypothesis, and

developing a conceptual framework.

 Planning Phase: This is the second step. It involves the definition of research

type, research design, intervention protocols which include lifestyle changes,

defining the population, sample, and target variables.

 Empirical Phase: This step involves collecting data at the initial contact with

the target population, implementing the proposed intervention, collecting data

after the implementation period elapses, analyzing data and making

comparisons, and interpreting the research findings.

 Dissemination Phase: The study findings are shared among key stakeholders

including the target population, community healthcare providers, and the

general public as a strategy to create awareness supported by evidence.

Type of Research

As stated earlier, this study is based on a quantitative research approach which

involves the collection and analysis of quantitative data. Based on the research approach, the

study will base on a descriptive cross-sectional study design. According to Rezigalla (2020),

cross-sectional study design allows for the exploration of the relationship between exposures

and outcomes within a given period. Following this design, it will be easy to determine the
RESEARCH DESIGN 4

impact of lifestyle changes on diabetes prevention and management in terms of prevalence

and associated complications. The current study aims at describing the impact of different

lifestyle changes including dietary changes and physical exercise on reducing the risk of type

II diabetes for at-risk population and enhancing the management of type II diabetes for

people diagnosed with type II diabetes. Therefore, using a descriptive cross-sectional study

design will enable the researcher to fully explore the issue of diabetes and determine whether

dietary changes and physical exercise are important in preventing/delaying type II diabetes or

in the management of type II diabetes.

Potential Data

For this study data collection will happen at the beginning and at the end of the study.

At the beginning of the study, descriptive data on the population will be collected in addition

to the participants’ eating and physical exercise regime, their diabetes management strategies,

blood sugar levels, and presence and severity of diabetes comorbidities. At the end of the

implementation period, data on blood sugar management, management of diabetes

comorbidities, and general quality of life will be collected and compared to the previous data

to determine the effect of lifestyle changes in diabetes management. Data on weight status,

BMI, and lifestyle change adherence will also be fundamental as obesity and overweight are

primary risk factors for diabetes. Any changes to the positive or negative side will help

determine the effectiveness lifestyle changes in addressing the issue of weight in the

development of type II diabetes.

Importance of Data Analysis and Interpretation

Data analysis helps determine the effect of exposures on outcomes. in this research, a

correlation analysis will help determine the relationship between lifestyle changes and

diabetes management and prevention by looking at different variables including blood sugar
RESEARCH DESIGN 5

levels, weight status, and management of diabetes comorbidities. With such, the findings will

help answer the research question by defining the relationship between the intervention and

the outcomes. As described by Makowski et al. (2020), correlation analysis help define the

relationship between two variables and will therefore be instrumental in defining the impact

of lifestyle changes on diabetes management.

Conclusion

In determining the impact of lifestyle changes on diabetes management, the analysis

demonstrates that following a quantitative research approach is most appropriate. Based on

this approach, a descriptive cross-sectional research design is most effective in facilitating the

collection of required data and therefore answering the research question.

RESEARCH DESIGN 6

References

Grady, C. (2021). Clinical Center: Ethics in clinical research. National Institute of Health.

https://clinicalcenter.nih.gov/recruit/ethics.html

Makowski, D., Ben-Shachar, M. S., Patil, I., & Lüdecke, D. (2020). Methods and algorithms

for correlation analysis in R. Journal of Open Source Software, 5(51), 2306.

https://doi.org/10.21105/joss.02306

Rezigalla A. A. (2020). Observational Study Designs: Synopsis for Selecting an Appropriate

Study Design. Cureus, 12(1), e6692. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.6692

Tobi, H., & Kampen, J. K. (2018). Research design: the methodology for interdisciplinary

research framework. Quality & quantity, 52(3), 1209-1225.

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11135-017-0513-8