This is why South Asian people are poor at managing diabetes in UK

A new study has observed the poor outcomes of South Asian people with diabetes in the UK suggesting that fatalistic and treatment beliefs are often a hindrance to managing the condition.

The study conducted at University of Manchester suggested that the problem usually comes especially among first generation immigrants.

Dr. Neesha Patel, the health psychologist who led the study, said that many of the people they interviewed have conflicting views about the causes of their diabetes which seems to have an impact on how they manage it where some believe that the state of their health is out of their control, and also have limited knowledge of diabetes being related to genetics and lifestyles factors.

The study also revealed the strengths of family networks in supporting people to manage their diabetes. Many people without a good command of 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.

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

The study is published in a paper in the journal BMC Family Practice.