Chaudhary Muhamamd Juniad Nazar - Department of Nephrology, Shifa International Hospital, Islamabad, Pakistan
Armughan Ahmed - Department of Nephrology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Pakistan
Muhammad Hammad Akhtar - Department of Nephrology, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences, Pakistan
Nadia Kareem - Department of Community Medicine, Nawaz Sharif Medical College, Pakistan

The British South-Asian people show poor level of knowledge in diabetes and have been discouraged to join educational sessions (۱). These clear findings have resulted from a descriptive randomized control trial conducted by Hawthorne (۱) in order to evaluate the effect of health education on the control of blood glucose level and knowledge of diabetes in British-Pakistani women with type ۲ diabetes mellitus. This investigation was carried-out during ۶ months. Two hundred people participated in this study. Interview questionnaires were asked to complete to the participants and also their blood samples were taken for measurement of HbA۱c level at the beginning and the end of study. Topic guide was used for the focus group discussion and questions related to diabetic diet, diabetic complications, monitoring glucose level and services provided by diabetic clinics. Results of this investigation indicated, a significant change in knowledge and improvement in glycaemic control in intervention group. Men showed more improvement than women. Also literate women showed more improvement than illiterate women. Similarly, a qualitative study conducted in order to discover the experience and attitudes of primary care diabetic patients residing in a UK South-Asian community with most of the patients of Indian origin (۲). Semi-structured interviews were carried out on the participants. The participants were recruited from two general practitioner practices in Leicester. The study involved ۲۰ diabetic patients. ۱۵ South-Asians (۶ men and ۹ women) and ۵ Caucasians (۳ men and ۲ women) with one patient with type ۱ diabetes and ۱۹ type ۲ diabetic patients. Results of the study indicated that, the South-Asian patients faced problems regarding diet aspect and showed little learning regarding diabetes, and were discouraged to join educational sessions. Strong family provide emotional support for participants, especially, patients who are native in South-Asia. South-Asian community seems to be at risk of health related anxiety and depressive illness as these participants were found to consult less frequently for anxiety and depressive. The study agreed with this as he conducted a cross sectional study to evaluate patient, and provider, reported psychosocial problems and barbarriers to improved diabetes management. Face to face or telephone interviews were conducted with patients for diabetic patients and health care suppliers (۳). Interviews were conducted in ۱۳ countries belongs to Asian, Australian, European and North-American countries. The participants were randomly selected and were divided into three samples. First sample consisted of ۵۱۰۴ patients with type۱ or type ۲ diabetes. Second sample consisted of ۲۷۰۵ physicians (endocrinologists and diabetologists) and the third sample consisted of ۱۱۲۲ nurses. Forty percent of patients were experiencing psychological problems, however only ۱۰% and ۱۲% of patients with type ۱ and ۲ diabetes mellitus, respectively, were treated for this reason in the last ۵ years. ۶۰%-۷۰% of providers reported psychological problems (including depression stress and anxiety) in their diabetic patients and ۶۵%–۷۵% providers informed that psychological problems in diabetic patients affected diabetes regimen adherence. ۵۰%-۶۹% of suppliers were able to identify psychological disorder and assess psychological needs while ۴۰%-۶۰% of them were able only to meet these needs and ۴۰%-۴۵% health care providers were able to identify as well as meet these needs. Results of the study indicated that diabetes-related distress and psychological problems are common among people with diabetes (۲,۳). The study suggested that many involved providers in the study were aware of the diabetes related psychological problems but did not have their self-confidence to evaluate these problems and to support these patients.

Diabetes mellitus, Hypoglycemia, Hyperglycemia