Main research question 1: Who is more likely to develop diabetes?
Sub questions:
i. What factors (gender, race, age) make you more or less likely to be a diagnosed diabetic?
Independent variable: diagnosed diabetics
Dependent variable: The race, gender, and age of diagnosed diabetics. ii. What is the average household income of diagnosed diabetics?
Independent variable: diagnosed diabetics.
Dependent variable: the household income of diagnosed diabetics. iii. Do cultural habits affect the likelihood of being a diagnosed diabetic?
Independent variable: diagnosed diabetics.
Dependent variable: The cultural habits of diagnosed diabetics
Main research question 2: Does your position in society affect your ability to manage diabetes? …show more content…
The benefits of snowball sampling, to my study are clear; it allows each participant of the study to connect us to more potential participants allowing me to gain a broad overview of the topic being studied. Until eventually: “By asking a number of people who else to talk with, the snowball gets bigger and bigger as you accumulate new information-rich cases” (Ibid). This is a particularly useful method when studying diagnosed diabetics, because they are more likely to receive medical attention, meaning that medical centers will be a useful starting point for the study. Obviously, the gatekeepers would be medical professionals be they nurses, doctors or people working in pharmacies distributing diabetes medication. My study would seek to develop relationships with them allowing us to access their patients and collect data from them, via surveys, interviews and events. Clearly as medical professionals, the gatekeepers have a vested interest in improving the base of knowledge on diabetes, meaning that they will happily help me: as long as I can demonstrate the usefulness and validity of the study. I would further seek to access diabetics by offering materials relevant to their condition, such as leaflets on how to manage diabetes and recipe books for ‘diabetic friendly meals’, which would again allow us to develop relationships and conduct the …show more content…
I will seek to solve this problem, by practicing the technique multiple times. My second point of access to diabetics will be diabetic support groups and charities that are active across the country. For instance the American Diabetes Association (AMA) and the Joslin Diabetes Center both offer support sessions for specific members of different parts of society, for instance Joslin offers support groups that are specifically aimed at women. By developing a relationship with these various charities I will be able to snowball sample across a broad range of society, which will undoubtedly improve the quality of our data. As gatekeepers, these charities also have a vested interest in the success of our study, meaning they should also allow me access if we can demonstrate the usefulness and validity of the project. I will also seek to distribute the previously mentioned materials (recipes and leaflets), to help me access as many people as