The effects of personality, motivation and self-efficacy on very low-calorie diet in type 2 Diabetes

Diabetes is a major public health issue worldwide. In the UK, the health expenditure associated with
diabetes is estimated to cost the NHS £10 billion per year. Weight loss through a very low-calorie diet
(800 calories a day) has shown great results in the management of type 2 diabetes. However, the
treatment is not always successful, with many patients finding it difficult to maintain. The reasons for this
are unclear, but research suggests that personality and motivation may be key factors to understanding
why some patients can sustain the diet and others not.
This PhD project will focus on assessing the impact of personality traits and motivation when adopting a
very low-calorie diet in type 2 diabetes care. The project will recruit participants from Southern Health
NHS foundation trust diabetes service who have been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. As part of their
care they will be starting a very low-calorie diet and will be followed up for a 1-year period. The key
outcome measures will be changes in body weight and glucose levels, investigating the impact of
personality and motivation on adherence.
Overall this project will employ a mixed-methods design to assess the impact of personality and
motivation on adherence to very low-calorie diets. This will be a longitudinal cohort study that also
explores qualitatively participants' experience of a low-calorie diet and barriers to success. The results
will be used to develop further interventional trials which will aim to personalise dieting and support to
those with type 2 diabetes.