Sociale en culturele problemen bij het opvolgen van leefstijladviezen door allochtone diabetici

Objective

Determination of whether patients of non-Dutch origin with type 2 diabetes mellitus experience social and cultural factors hindering compliance with life-style advice and to what extent diabetes education programs relate to the cultural background of the patient.

Design

Focus group study.

Method

An exploratory focus group investigation was carried out in patients of Turkish, Moroccan and Surinam-Hindustani descent with type 2 diabetes mellitus in order to determine their perception and experience of, and requirements for, diabetes related life-style advice and diabetes prevention programs. A total of seven semi-structured focus group meetings were held, led by a bicultural facilitator with the same ethnic origin as the participants. Subjects discussed included living daily with diabetes, incorporation of life-style advice into daily life and the difficulties experienced, the social support experienced, and the needs and requirements concerning the current diabetes care. The focus group discussions were noted verbatim and analysed thematically.

Results

37 patients in total with an average diabetes illness length of 13.8 years took part in the study. Knowledge about diabetes, the possible complications and about the most important life-style advice was sufficient. However, the dominant cultural norms were experienced as significant barriers for compliance with life-style advice.

Conclusion

Cultural norms hindered the incorporation of diabetes related life-style advice into daily life. The current diabetes programs are not sufficiently able to break through these social and cultural barriers. Enabling discussion of the subject diabetes in the social environment and giving culturally sensitive life-style advice appear to be important necessary changes required in order to render the current diabetes care effective across a wider cultural context.

Conflict of interest: none declared. Financial support: Y.J.F.M. Jansen received funding from MCH (Medisch Centrum Haaglanden) for this study. This research was supported by the Dutch Diabetes Fund, through funding program “The Patient's Voice 2008” (project number Diabetes Fund 2008.13.004).