title: Perceptions of risk factors for diabetes among Norwegian-Pakistani women participating in a culturally adapted intervention.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore perceptions of diabetes risk factors among Pakistani immigrant women, as part of their explanatory model of the disease, and the changes in these perceptions after a culturally adapted intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Intervention study, carried out in Oslo, Norway, comprising 198 women.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At baseline, about 75% of the women perceived sugar to be a risk factor for diabetes, about 30% mentioned physical inactivity and stress and close to 20% mentioned overweight. Twelve per cent could not identify any risk factors. When asked about foods to include in a diet to prevent diabetes, vegetables were mentioned by 45%, while 33% did not know any foods to include. Among those attending ≥60% of the educational sessions, the proportions mentioning little physical activity (p<0.001), overweight (p=0.001) and family history (p=0.007) as risk factors increased. Furthermore, the proportions mentioning legumes (p=0.001), fish (p<0.001), fibre (p=0.035) or vegetables (p=0.015) as important in a diet to prevent diabetes increased, and the proportion not knowing any food to include was reduced to 10% (p=0.004). Except for little physical activity, similar changes in responses were not registered in the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for improved knowledge about diabetes prevention among Pakistani immigrant women, and a culturally adapted intervention may contribute to this.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Institute for Basic Medical Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. m.k.raberg@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Marte K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Råberg Kjøllesdal
authors.forename: Victoria T
authors.initials: VT
authors.lastname: Hjellset
authors.forename: Benedikte
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bjørge
authors.forename: Gerd
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Holmboe-Ottesen
authors.forename: Margareta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wandel
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003469:Culture; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D050177:Overweight / Q000150:complications; D010154:Pakistan / Q000208:ethnology; D010465:Perception; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016387:Women's Health