South Asian people poor at managing diabetes in Britain

Limited knowledge of diabetes and the belief that the state of their health is out of their control has led to poor management of the lifestyle disorder among the people of south Asian descent in Britain, an Indian-origin researcher said.

Analysis of interviews with south Asian people, published in the journal BMC Family Practice, shows that especially among first generation immigrants, fatalistic and treatment beliefs are often a hindrance to managing the condition.

"Many of the people we interviewed have conflicting views about the cause of their diabetes which seems to have an impact on how they manage it," said Neesha Patel, the health psychologist from the University of Manchester who led the study.

Some believe that the state of their health is out of their control, and also have limited knowledge of diabetes related to genetics and lifestyles factors, Patel found.

The South Asian population in Britain has a higher incidence of diabetes and poor health outcomes from treatment than the general population.

The study also revealed the strength of family networks in supporting people to manage their diabetes.

Many people who do not have good command over English were helped by their children to research their condition online and in other households where women took a prime role in shopping and cooking, diet was carefully managed.

On the other hand, incorrect information about the value of herbal remedies and types of food to eat was also spread around these networks.

"This study explored peoples' personal beliefs about diabetes and the support received from other people to manage diabetes, which is often overlooked when producing culturally specific treatment plans and information," Patel added.

"By examining the wider context as a whole and studying the role this plays in the management of diabetes, we recommend that these factors should be considered in routine diabetes care."

For the results, researchers from the University of Manchester worked in collaboration with Keele and Southampton University.