Date of Award

Spring 5-2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

First Advisor

Dr. Vicky Green

Abstract

Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDN) are an essential part of type 2 diabetes disease management. This study assessed whether self-reported symptoms of depression, glycemic control, and reported intervention by a RDN had an impact on the quality-of-life in person diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus. An online survey was created using Qualtics software which was distributed to a convenience sample of online support groups for people diagnosed with diabetes as well as the personal pages of the researchers. The survey was available for 10 weeks and collected demographic data, information regarding the RDN intervention and assessed participant diabetes related quality-of-life using the Appraisal of Diabetes Scale and depressive symptoms using the Beck Depression Inventory-II. A total of 95 participants’ responses were used for data analysis. Frequencies and measures of central tendency were used to describe the demographic data. A positive correlation was found between the Beck Depression Inventory-II scores and Appraisal of Diabetes Scale scores (quality-of-life) (p<.01). There was significant difference found in mean Appraisal of Diabetes Scale scores for those having glucose monitoring checks outside of the recommended range greater ≥50% of the time when compared to those outside of the range for ≤ 25% of the time (p=.001). The results suggest that RDN’s who can help achieve glucose control can also improve a person’s diabetes related quality-of-life and decrease depressive symptoms. Further research is needed to validate these results.

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