Publications by authors named "Asuntha Karunaratne"
Objective: To assess the efficacy, with respect to participant understanding of information, of a computer-based approach to communication about complex, technical issues that commonly arise when seeking informed consent for clinical research trials.
Design, Setting And Participants: An open, randomised controlled study of 60 patients with diabetes mellitus, aged 27-70 years, recruited between August 2006 and October 2007 from the Department of Diabetes and Endocrinology at the Alfred Hospital and Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute, Melbourne.
Intervention: Participants were asked to read information about a mock study via a computer-based presentation (n = 30) or a conventional paper-based information statement (n = 30).
Background: To explore the extent to which people living with obesity have attempted to lose weight, their attitudes towards dieting, physical exercise and weight loss solutions, why their weight loss attempts have failed, and their opinions about what would be most beneficial to them in their struggle with their weight.
Method: Qualitative study, using open-ended interviews, of 76 people living with obesity in Victoria, Australia in 2006/7. Individuals with a BMI of 30 or over were recruited using articles in local newspapers, convenience sampling, and at a later stage purposive sampling techniques to diversify the sample.
Objective: To develop an in-depth picture of both lived experience of obesity and the impact of socio-cultural factors on people living with obesity.
Design: Qualitative methodology, utilizing in-depth semi-structured interviews with a community sample of obese adults (body mass index >or=30). Community sampling methods were supplemented with purposive sampling techniques to ensure a diverse range of individuals were included.