Manage Abstracts

Priya Rawat 1 , Purva Gulyani 1,2 , Yusra Elmi 3,4 , Ashley H Ng 5 , Ching Shan Wan 1,6,7

1 Accredited Practising Dietitian, Diet Yumm, Craigieburn, Victoria, Australia
2 PhD Candidate, Department of Dietetics, Human Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
3 Masters of Dietetics Student, Swinburne University, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
4 Nutritionist Assistant, Diet Yumm, Craigieburn, Victoria, Australia
5 Department of Dietetics, Human Nutrition and Sport, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
6 Nursing Research Institute, St Vincent’s Health Network Sydney, St Vincent’s Hospital Melbourne & Australian Catholic University
7 School of Nursing, Midwifery and Paramedicine, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

South Asian (SA) immigrants have a higher prevalence of type 2 diabetes (T2D) than Australian-born individuals. They require culturally appropriate care for empowering T2D self-management. However, little is known about the lived experience of SA immigrants with T2D in Australia to provide insight into areas for improving culturally appropriate care.

To explore the perceptions and experiences of SA immigrants in Australia living with T2D.

Eighteen SA immigrant adults with T2D were recruited from primary care clinics and social media to participate in semi-structured audio-recorded interviews. Participants were asked about their knowledge, dietary beliefs, and strategies to live with and manage T2D, and how they coped with T2D management during the COVID pandemic. Thematic analysis was used to analyse interview transcripts to identify categories and themes.

The median age of participants was 45 years and the majority were men (72%). All participants used oral diabetes medications with two requiring insulin. Seven themes were identified including: 1) Inability to recognise culturally appropriate unrefined carbohydrates replacement to manage T2D; 2) skipping meals and exercise after high - carbohydrate meals as management strategies 3) openness to try complementary medicines; 4) reliance on health professionals and online platforms as knowledge sources; 5) ambivalent views on medication use; 6) social stigma surrounding T2D impacting access to social support; and 7) COVID pandemic having no overall influence on T2D self-management.

The findings imply the need for culturally appropriate dietary education and an openness for dietitians to work with complementary practitioners to provide evidence-based advice.

This study finds that within the SA immigrant's there are many barriers and facilitators that need to be recognised by Dietitians to be able to provide appropriate dietary education for best practice. In addition for dietitians to also work with complementary practitioners to provide best evidence-based advice.