An examination of the care provided to Arab Muslim clients with type 2 diabetes receiving health care in Australia in order to expand our understanding of culturally congruent care

Abstract

This study aims to examine the nature of existing culture care for Arabic speaking Muslim clients with type 2 diabetes receiving care in Australia. This study has adopted and adaptation of Leininger’s ethnonursing research method to examine the extent to which existing models of culture care are put into practice by diabetes educators and the clients response to this care in the context of diabetic clinics/ centres in South Western Sydney. Data was collected over a seven months period where the researcher was embedded in a number of Diabetic Clinics around South Western Sydney. Data was gathered from field notes taken after participant observations, and interviews with both the clients and the educators. Twenty one informants (13 diabetes educators and 8 Arab Muslim clients) participated in the study. The study sites were five diabetes centres from two area health services in Sydney NSW. The research describes the activities of the educators within their culture care practice. The research reports life experiences of clients which may act as barriers to successful care. The data reveals that occasions of mutual reflection between the client and the educator have a profound effect on the nature of client-educator relationship and health care outcomes.