Study to examine impact of diabetes on life quality

(Medical Xpress) -- People living with Type 2 Diabetes are being recruited for a national online survey to understand how it affects their quality of life.

The University of Adelaide study hopes to pinpoint the difficulties that diabetes sufferers face in different areas of the country and how they can be overcome.

Study co-ordinator, Psychology PhD student Laura Jones, says Type 2 Diabetes is one of the top 10 causes of death in Australia and is increasing across all age groups - particularly younger people.

"Diabetes affects approximately 7.4% of the Australian population - about 1.6 million people - with 90% of these cases being Type 2 Diabetes. More worrying is that an estimated 50% of diabetes sufferers are undiagnosed and not aware they are at risk."

The SA Health-funded study will reveal the differences in managing diabetes in both urban and rural areas, helping health authorities to identify gaps in services and professional expertise. The results of this study will be reported to SA Health.

"There is some evidence to suggest that diabetes is more difficult to manage in remote and rural areas and this is backed up by the statistics which show diabetes rates are twice as high in remote areas."

At least 200 people will be recruited for the online survey and there is also an option to complete a paper survey.

"Type 2 Diabetes is Australia's fastest growing chronic disease, with one person diagnosed every seven minutes. The tragedy is that most people can avoid it by choosing a sensible diet and lifestyle. Once you are diagnosed there is no cure, so effective management is essential," Laura says.