The study started in 2008; more than 2000 people with diabetes were recruited between January 2008 and April 2008. The average age of participants was 58 years; 53% of participants were women, 47% were men and approximately 50% were married. 93% of the participants had type 2 diabetes and 7% had type 1 diabetes. Participants had been diagnosed with diabetes for an average of 12 years. Most participants were physically active to some extent, but about a third was inactive. A lot of participants stopped smoking, but about a fifth continued to smoke.
The first follow-up interview was conducted after one year in winter/spring 2009; 1300 people participated.
The second follow-up interview was conducted in winter/spring 2010; 1152 people participated.
The third follow-up interview was conducted in winter/spring 2011; 1157 people participated.
The four year follow-up interview was conducted in winter/spring 2012; 1100 people participated..
The five year follow-up interview is scheduled for February and March 2013.
All interviews are conducted by Bureau d'intervieweurs professionnels (Montreal, QC).
We are very thankful to the participants who agreed to be interviewed for this research and for their contribution to diabetes research.
This is a unique study in the area of diabetes research. To our knowledge, no other study has ever assessed clinical, psychological and behavioral factors associated with diabetes over a period of four years in such a large number of people.
The study will have major implications for intervention: it will provide a more complete description of the natural course of physical functioning and psychological problems over time and it will identify groups of people that may need specific interventions.
The results of the study will be of immediate use to planner and policy makers at the provincial and federal levels in Canada.