Enhancing diabetes education and self-management in South Asian populations in the UK
Intended for healthcare professionals
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Enhancing diabetes education and self-management in South Asian populations in the UK

Catherine Mutuota Practice nurse, Bethnal Green Health Centre, Tower Hamlets, London, England
Marie Hill Programme director in BSc/PGDip Primary Care (practice nursing) and senior lecturer, School of Health Sciences, City University, London, England
Anne Claydon Nurse consultant, Barts Health NHS Trust, London, England

The South Asian population in the UK is at increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes mellitus. This article considers the cultural beliefs that South Asian patients with diabetes may have about their condition, and discusses the challenges that healthcare practitioners may encounter when providing care for this patient group. It offers practical advice on how to enhance the care and treatment of these patients, including the importance of providing culturally sensitive guidance. There may be particular risks and health effects for Muslim patients with diabetes who choose to fast during Ramadan. The principal author introduced a ‘pre-Ramadan assessment’ initiative in their GP surgery in Tower Hamlets, London, which aimed to provide education on the risks associated with fasting and to improve patients’ self-management of their condition, thus reducing potential health complications.

Nursing Standard. 31, 35, 47-52. doi: 10.7748/ns.2017.e10247

Correspondence

catherine.mutuota@nhs.net

Peer review

This article has been subject to external double-blind peer review and checked for plagiarism using automated software

Conflict of interest

None declared

Received: 29 July 2015

Accepted: 29 April 2016

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