A medical research team compares two ways of managing high blood glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes. Fig. 1 shows the study plan. Group A follows a supe...
Question 1 Report
A medical research team compares two ways of managing high blood glucose in adults with type 2 diabetes. Fig. 1 shows the study plan. Group A follows a supervised walking programme and dietary advice. Group B receives the same dietary advice but no organised walking sessions. Both groups continue medicines prescribed by their doctors. Table 1 shows mean fasting blood glucose concentrations before and after 12 weeks. The team uses many participants because individuals differ in diet, body mass, age and how their cells respond to insulin.
| Group | Before programme / mmol dm-3 | After 12 weeks / mmol dm-3 |
|---|---|---|
| A: walking and diet | 8.2 | 6.7 |
| B: diet only | 8.1 | 7.6 |
(a) Calculate the mean decrease for group A. [2]
(b) Use Table 1 to compare the effects of the two programmes. [3]
(c) Explain how regular exercise can help lower blood glucose concentration. [3]
(d) Identify one variable, other than the programme, that the researchers should monitor or control. [1]
(e) Explain why the team should calculate a mean result for each group. [2]
(f) Suggest one limitation of concluding that walking alone caused the change in group A. [2]
Answer Details
(a) 8.2 - 6.7 [1] = 1.5 mmol dm^-3 [1] (b) Both groups show a decrease in mean fasting blood glucose [1]; group A decreases by 1.5 mmol dm^-3 while group B decreases by 0.5 mmol dm^-3 [1]; group A has the larger decrease/by 1.0 mmol dm^-3 more [1] (c) Exercise increases energy demand in muscle cells [1]; muscle cells use more glucose in respiration/take more glucose from blood [1]; regular exercise can improve insulin sensitivity so cells respond more effectively to insulin [1] (d) Any one: prescribed medicine dose / diet intake / age / body mass / starting activity level [1] (e) A mean reduces the effect of unusual/anomalous individual results [1]; it gives a more representative value for each group [1] (f) Any two from: group A also received dietary advice [1]; participants may have changed other lifestyle factors [1]; the groups may not have been identical at the start [1]; correlation does not prove walking was the only cause [1]
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