The relationships between illness and treatment perceptions with adherence to diabetes self-care: A comparison between Arabic-speaking migrants and Caucasian English-speaking patients

Hamzah Alzubaidi; Kevin Mc Narmara; Gloria M Kilmartin; John F Kilmartin; Jennifer Marriott

doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2015.08.006

The relationships between illness and treatment perceptions with adherence to diabetes self-care: A comparison between Arabic-speaking migrants and Caucasian English-speaking patients

Diabetes Res Clin Pract. 2015 Nov;110(2):208-17. doi: 10.1016/j.diabres.2015.08.006. Epub 2015 Sep 11.

Authors

Hamzah Alzubaidi¹, Kevin Mc Narmara², Gloria M Kilmartin³, John F Kilmartin³, Jennifer Marriott⁴

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. Electronic address: hamza.t.alzubaidy@monash.edu.
² Greater Green Triangle University, Department of Rural Health, Flinders University and Deakin University, PO Box 423, Warrnambool, Victoria 3280, Australia; Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.
³ Goulburn Valley Diabetes Centre, Goulburn Valley Health, Graham St., Shepparton, Victoria 3630, Australia; University of Melbourne, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Science, Shepparton, Victoria 3630, Australia.
⁴ Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, 381 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia.

PMID: 26415673
DOI: 10.1016/j.diabres.2015.08.006

Abstract

Aims: To compare illness and treatment perceptions between Arabic-speaking immigrants and Caucasian English-speaking people with type 2 diabetes, and explore the relationships between these beliefs and adherence to self-care activities.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in healthcare settings with large Arabic populations in metropolitan and rural Victoria, Australia. Adherence to self-care activities, illness and treatment perceptions, and clinical data were recorded. Bivariate associations for continuous normally distributed variables were tested with Pearson's correlation. Non-parametric data were tested using Spearman's rank correlation coefficient.

Results: 701 participants were recruited; 392 Arabic-speaking participants (ASPs) and 309 English-speaking participants (ESPs). There were significant relationships between participants' illness and treatment perceptions and adherence to diabetes self-care activities. ASPs' negative beliefs about diabetes were strongly and significantly correlated with poorer adherence to diet recommendations, exercise, blood glucose testing and foot care. ASPs were significantly less adherent to all aspects of diabetes self-care compared with ESPs: dietary behaviours (P=<0.01; 95% confidence interval (CI)=-1.17, -0.84), exercise and physical activity (P=<0.001, 95% CI -1.14, -0.61), blood glucose testing (P=<0.001) and foot-care (P=<0.001). 52.8% of ASPs were sceptical about prescribed diabetes treatment compared with only 11.2% of the ESPs. 88.3% of ASPs were non-adherent to prescribed medication, compared with 45.1% of ESPs.

Conclusions: Arabic-speaking migrants' illness and treatment perceptions were significantly different from the English-speaking group. There is a pressing need to develop new innovative interventions that deliver much-needed improvements in adherence to self-care activities and key health outcomes.

Keywords: Adherence; Arabic-speaking; Illness and treatment perceptions; Type 2 diabetes.

Publication types

Multicenter Study
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adult
Aged
Arabs*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / ethnology
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / therapy*
Emigrants and Immigrants
Female
Humans
Language
Male
Middle Aged
Patient Compliance / psychology*
Perception / physiology*
Self Care / methods*
Transients and Migrants*
Victoria / epidemiology
White People*