hanna-perceptionsandexperiences-2005.pdf (174.35 kB)
Perceptions and experiences of taking oral hypoglycaemic agents among people of Pakistani and Indian origin : qualitative study
journal contribution
posted on 2005-01-01, 00:00 authored by J Lawton, N Ahmad, N Hallowell, Lisa HannaLisa Hanna, M DouglasObjective: To explore British Pakistani and British Indian patients’ perceptions and experiences of taking oral hypoglycaemic agents (OHAs).
Design : Observational cross sectional study using in-depth interviews in English or Punjabi.
Setting and participants : 32 patients of Pakistani and Indian origin with type 2 diabetes, recruited from primary care and community sources in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Results : Respondents reported complex and ambivalent views about OHAs, which reflected their ambivalent attitudes towards Western drugs in general. Respondents considered OHAs to be an important part of the diabetic regimen because they perceived British healthcare professionals to be competent and trustworthy prescribers, and they considered the medicines available in Britain to be superior to those on the Indian subcontinent. Despite this, some respondents made deliberate efforts to reduce their tablet intake without being advised to do so. Reasons for this included perceptions that drugs worked by providing relief of symptoms and concerns that OHAs could be detrimental to health if taken for long periods, in conjunction with other drugs, or without traditional foods.
Conclusions : British Pakistani and Indian patients’ perceptions of their OHAs may partly derive from popular ideas about drugs on the Indian subcontinent. Cultural factors need to be understood and taken into consideration to ensure that these patients are given appropriate advice and to avoid unnecessary changes to prescriptions.
Design : Observational cross sectional study using in-depth interviews in English or Punjabi.
Setting and participants : 32 patients of Pakistani and Indian origin with type 2 diabetes, recruited from primary care and community sources in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Results : Respondents reported complex and ambivalent views about OHAs, which reflected their ambivalent attitudes towards Western drugs in general. Respondents considered OHAs to be an important part of the diabetic regimen because they perceived British healthcare professionals to be competent and trustworthy prescribers, and they considered the medicines available in Britain to be superior to those on the Indian subcontinent. Despite this, some respondents made deliberate efforts to reduce their tablet intake without being advised to do so. Reasons for this included perceptions that drugs worked by providing relief of symptoms and concerns that OHAs could be detrimental to health if taken for long periods, in conjunction with other drugs, or without traditional foods.
Conclusions : British Pakistani and Indian patients’ perceptions of their OHAs may partly derive from popular ideas about drugs on the Indian subcontinent. Cultural factors need to be understood and taken into consideration to ensure that these patients are given appropriate advice and to avoid unnecessary changes to prescriptions.
History
Journal
BMJVolume
330Issue
7502Pagination
1247 - 1250Publisher
BMJ groupLocation
London, EnglandPublisher DOI
ISSN
0959-535XeISSN
1468-5833Language
engPublication classification
C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journalCopyright notice
2005, BMJ GroupUsage metrics
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