Making education in diabetes culturally appropriate for patients

Aims The purpose of this study was to identify key cultural issues relevant to providing appropriate education for people newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes in a UK African and Caribbean community. An additional aim was to test the usefulness of the collaborative action research approach used to gather this information. Methods An education and research event was organized in partnership with local diabetes educators and community groups in Southwark, London. This included a modelled education session and focus group feedback about cultural relevance based on a semi-structured topic guide. Qualitative methods were used to analyse the data collected. Key findings The action research approach and the topic guide used for the focus groups effectively identified relevant foods and other cultural issues such as traditional large portion sizes and social pressures related to food consumption in the African and Caribbean community. Language was regarded as the main barrier to joint education sessions for peopl...