Diabetes research
Photo by Pamela Gill
(L-R) Marilyn White, Elaine Lundrigan, Annette Denny and Elizabeth Spracklin, faculty at the Western Regional School of Nursing, received a total of $3,000 in funding from the Association of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador for research projects.
Breastfeeding and Type II diabetes will be
the topics of two research projects being carried out by Western Regional
School of Nursing faculty, thanks to research grants from the Association
of Registered Nurses of Newfoundland and Labrador.
The first project, which focuses on the self-management of Type II diabetes
in adults, will be carried out by Elaine Lundrigan, Betty Spracklin and
Annette Denny. Newfoundland has the highest diabetes mortality rate and
one of the highest diabetes-related hospitalization rates in Canada. Although
self-management is recognized as the cornerstone of diabetes care, there
is no consensus as to the factors that best predict effective self-management
practices. The study will investigate self-management in a sample of adults
registered with diabetes education centres in the western region of the
province. Consideration will also be given to the relationships among
sociodemographic variables, personal illness models and barriers to self-management
of diabetes.
The second project, to be carried out by Marilyn White, will examine the
effect of maternal breastfeeding confidence and problem-solving skills
on breastfeeding satisfaction and duration. Despite recommendations of
the World Health Organization and the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada
that infants should be breastfed exclusively for the first six months
of life, Newfoundland has the lowest breastfeeding initiation rate in
Canada, and very high attrition rate.
Research shows that the benefits of breastfeeding are greatly reduced
if breastfeeding is discontinued prematurely and may lead to increased
infant morbidity and subsequent increased health care costs. Research
continuously shows that the major reasons for the early discontinuation
of breastfeeding relates to mothers’ actual or perceived problems
with the process. Ms. White hopes that findings from the study will help
health care professionals develop breastfeeding education programs and
supportive services that will enhance mothers’ breastfeeding confidence
and problem-solving skills, leading to a more satisfying breastfeeding
experience and increased duration of breastfeeding.
Both projects were awarded $1,500 from ARNNL’s Research and Trust
Fund.
