Date

5-25-2023

Department

School of Communication and the Arts

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Communication (PhD)

Chair

Carol E. Hepburn

Keywords

type 1 diabetes, online health information, adolescent, young adult, self-management, semiotics

Disciplines

Communication

Abstract

The purpose of this qualitative content analysis was to explore the content and semiotic structure of publicly accessible type 1 diabetes information and assess what content is tailored to the adolescent and young adult population. As an effort to enhance adolescent and young adult self-management practices and outcomes, this research aimed to better understand what information is accessible to the type 1 diabetes community and the ways in which it is categorized. Framed by Greimasian semiotics, ten peer-reviewed sources were selected and coded using frequency and thematic analysis. This comparative process identified five themes including Management, Staying Alive, Type 1 How-Tos, Management is Happening, and Type 1 Management Outcomes. Collectively, these themes revealed two canonical narrative schemas within public type 1 diabetes information. These findings benefit health authorities and professionals, as they provide credible insights into the health information being communicated to and consumed by individuals living with type 1 diabetes and their loved ones. Keywords: type 1 diabetes, online health information, adolescent, young adult, self-management, semiotics

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