Why the research is needed?
Ethnic minority groups, such as South Asians (SA), particularly women, have a high risk of developing long-term diseases such as diabetes. At the same time, these groups also use alternative ways to manage their conditions, mostly through discussions with family, friends, and the wider community. Alternative ways to manage conditions such as type 2 diabetes may include using traditional spices or herbs in the diet. Many feel that they are unable to discuss managing their conditions with their healthcare providers, due to misunderstanding of cultural and traditional norms. These remedies may result in poorer disease consequences, such as substitution of sugar with honey is often seen as ‘healthier’, however in terms of blood glucose, this will still elevate levels. Therefore, appropriate education and dialogue is needed between SA women and their healthcare providers.
What is already known about the subject?
Sources of information regarding alternative methods of managing health conditions are not always very reliable and are often circulated via social media or word of mouth. This can have quite a lot of cultural importance, even if not supported by medical professionals. However, a lot of people from these communities will still try different alternative therapies such as use of herbs or certain foods, mostly without checking with their doctor and may result in poor disease management.
Who we will be working with?
We will work closely with SA women, who have type 2 diabetes and either take alternative/complimentary remedies or have family members who take alternative remedies. SA women have previously expressed greater interest and trust in alternative remedies than male counterparts, they have also expressed hesitancy in discussing their healthcare needs with their doctors or nurses. In addition to SA women, we will also work with healthcare professionals who support SA patients in the management of their diabetes.
How will patients and the public be involved?
We want to know how healthcare providers can better support South Asian women to manage their diabetes. We will explore how these groups want to receive support and advice to manage their conditions, through working with healthcare professionals and South Asian women to understand what can be done to signpost better to disease management support and lead to open discussions.
What we will do
Briefly, we will do the following:
- Explore the beliefs and barriers of South Asian women engaging in discussions about using alternative therapies for the management of type 2 diabetes.
- Determine how Healthcare providers (HCPs) can improve cultural understanding and context with respect to South Asian women and attitudes to alternative remedies.
- Determine how HCPs can provide alternative support e.g. signposting for resources in alternative languages/formats, Infographics, videos etc to better support empowerment of South Asian women to manage their diabetes and engage in discussions with HCPs.
What will the benefits of the be for non-academic audiences?
This research will provide recommendations on how healthcare professionals and South Asian communities can communicate better to improve management of type 2 diabetes.
When the findings will be available?
The findings to this research will be available March 2026. The outputs from this work will be co-produced strategies that are clear and will support both patients and staff involved with diabetes care. There will also be a dissemination event to share the findings and the strategies.
How will the research make a difference outside of academia?
This research will be a first step to ensure that cultural context is woven throughout healthcare professional training, to ensure that signposting of educational material is effective. Through co-developed implementation strategies, this work will also push to ensure better communication between patients and healthcare providers. This will also help to develop similar recommendations for other communities in the UK, and wider.
Contact
Shabana Cassambai, Research Associate, University of Leicester, Sc833@leicester.ac.uk.