Diabetes and ME – a minority ethnic community engagement programme
Project Information
In Scotland there are over 200,000 people diagnosed with diabetes and a further 90,000 are estimated to have the condition but not realise. Diabetes is a serious condition for which there is currently no cure. Early diagnosis and good management of blood glucose levels is essential to help avoid the development of other long term conditions such as heart disease, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and nerve damage leading to amputation. Diabetes is a complex condition requiring regular reviews, behaviour change and self-management skills.
Diabetes and its complications are a particular health issue for the South Asian community. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes within the South Asian community is five times greater than the general population. The South Asian population develops diabetes and its complications earlier than the general population, however knowledge about diabetes, self-management and complications is low among this group. Research has shown that South Asians with diabetes have poorer health outcomes even when receiving same level of health care as the general population - higher HbA1c levels (measure of long term glucose concentration in the blood) and more retinopathy have been found among South Asians. South Asians with diabetes also often have other long-term conditions related and unrelated to diabetes.
In Scotland the South Asian population accounts for over 70% of the total minority ethnic population. Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board has the highest percentage of the total Scottish minority ethnic population living within its boundary (38.7%) – this is why Glasgow has been chosen as the initial location for this project.
Background & Development of the project
Given the increased prevalence of diabetes and its complications among the South Asian community and the fact that South Asians are the largest minority ethnic community living in Scotland, Diabetes UK Scotland carried out a scoping exercise looking at diabetes among the South Asian community. This exercise collected information on: the incidence of diabetes among the South Asian population, initiatives targeting diabetes in the South Asian community in Scotland and the UK and findings from research studies evaluating previous initiatives.
Following on from this scoping paper, Diabetes UK Scotland held a meeting to bring together people working with and those from the South Asian community in Glasgow with the aim of gathering information about the various strands of work they were involved in or knew about. This information would then be used to develop a project bringing together these examples of good practice into one project. This meeting was held in 2008 with representatives from Diabetes UK, NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde, pharmaceutical companies, community based organisations and community representatives. There was wide support for:
• Bi-lingual diabetes support/development worker role
• Structured education on healthier lifestyle and diabetes
• Evaluation of any project
• Sustainability of approaches developed in the project
In 2009 Diabetes UK Scotland carried out a survey and a series of focus groups as part of the Scottish Government’s Diabetes Consultation. Findings from the survey showed that 89% of those from BME communities had never been offered any diabetes education. Those attending a South Asian focus group also said that they had never been offered any diabetes education. Additional information gathered through this focus group also showed that no one at the group knew whether they had Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes. The focus group also explored what were the best ways of getting information to and supporting people managing their diabetes from the South Asian community. There was overwhelming support for specific voluntary support groups for diabetes, peer support and group education.
Following on from this work in 2008 and 2009 the Diabetes and ME project was developed.
AIMS of the Project
To support and empower South Asian people to participate fully in the management of their diabetes and associated long term conditions.
Project Objectives
The objectives of the project are that participants will:
• have a good understanding of diabetes;
• be more confident in the self management of their diabetes;
• have a better understanding of and access to the healthcare system;
• have access to a diabetes support network.