A mixed method approach to understanding the factors surrounding delayed diagnosis of type one diabetes.

AIMS: This study examined delayed type one diabetes (T1D) diagnosis, along with the associated severity markers, in the United States. Qualitative reflection was explored to add depth of understanding. METHODS: 975 parents of a minor child with T1D were recruited through snowball, social media requests to complete a 55-question online survey on the experience of diagnosis. RESULTS: 34% of children with T1D had a delayed diagnosis. When compared to those without a delayed diagnosis, these children were more likely to have an Emergency Room diagnosis (39.8% vs. 24.6%), be transported by ambulance or life flight (30.7% vs. 15.3%), be hospitalized (93.7% vs. 83.9%), spend time in an Intensive Care Unit (42.2% vs. 21.3%), and be in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) (42.2% vs. 21.3%). Younger children were at increased risk, with higher rates of DKA and fewer days of symptoms. Many parents experienced frustration receiving a prompt diagnosis for their child, including an inability to schedule a physician appointment, proper glucose testing, and concerns being dismissed by professionals. CONCLUSION: More physician and parent education is needed. Doctors should conduct glucose screenings when diabetes symptoms are present. Parents need education to recognize excessive thirst and frequent urination as reasons to seek medical treatment.

Freshmen women and the "Freshman 15": perspectives on prevalence and causes of college weight gain.

OBJECTIVE: Freshman weight gain has been assessed using quantitative inquiry, but this qualitative study allowed for an in-depth exploration of freshmen women's experiences surrounding body image, nutrition, and exercise. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact and explanations for the "Freshman 15." PARTICIPANTS: Freshmen college women, aged 18 to 19 years. METHODS: Participants (N = 235) were initially surveyed about body dissatisfaction. Thirty participants were selected for semistructured interviews (conducted in March 2008) using a criterion-based, multilevel stratified random sampling. RESULTS: Freshmen women reported intense fears about gaining weight. Women most commonly attributed freshman weight gain to newly found food independence, social comparison with peers, and the influence of friends and family. Women frequently cited eating habit changes to explain college weight gain. CONCLUSIONS: Comparison among females was framed using Festinger's social comparison theory. Despite being cautious about food, females described freshman weight gain as inevitable.

Coping with "bad body image days": strategies from first-year young adult college women.

The purpose of this qualitative study was to understand how college women cope with body image concerns, a topic which has rarely been studied. Semi-structured interviews with first-year female college students (N=30) revealed common strategies used for body image coping as well as their perceived effectiveness. While exercise was most frequently cited, other coping strategies included healthy eating, appearance changing, talking to friends or family, religion/spirituality, spending time alone, getting out and doing something, and self-acceptance. One of the emerging themes was participation in a cycle of eating as a result of body image concerns, and then feeling bad about themselves for eating. Participants identified that women in this cycle either adopt a self-defeatist attitude, believing they can do nothing about their appearance, or engage in self-improvement strategies, including goal setting. Far more women reported coping strategies that reflected avoidance or appearance fixing motives rather than acceptance.