title: The Arab American experience with diabetes: Perceptions, myths and implications for culturally-specific interventions.
abstract: Culturally-specific lifestyle diabetes prevention programs require an assessment of population disease perceptions and cultural influences on health beliefs and behaviors. The primary objectives were to assess Arab Americans' knowledge and perceptions of diabetes and their preferences for a lifestyle intervention.
  
  
  
  Sixty-nine self-identified Arab or Arab Americans ≥30 years of age and without diabetes participated in 8 focus groups.
  
  
  
  Emerging themes from the data included myths about diabetes etiology, folk remedies, and social stigma. The main barrier to healthcare was lack of health insurance and/or cost of care. Intervention preferences included gender-specific exercise, group-delivered education featuring religious ideology, inclusion of the family, and utilization of community facilities.
  
  
  
  Lifestyle interventions for Arab Americans need to address cultural preferences, diabetes myths, and folk remedies. Interventions should incorporate Arabic cultural content and gender-specific group education and exercise. Utilization of family support and religious centers will enable culturally-acceptable and cost-effective interventions.
authors.affiliation: Eugene Applebaum School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Suite 2134, Detroit, MI 48201, USA(2). Electronic address: econger@med.wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Elizabeth A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Bertran
authors.affiliation: Eugene Applebaum School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Suite 2134, Detroit, MI 48201, USA(2). Electronic address: nickipinelli@unc.edu.
authors.forename: Nicole R
authors.initials: NR
authors.lastname: Pinelli
authors.affiliation: The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 320 Graham Building UNCG, Greensboro, NC 27402-6170, USA. Electronic address: Sjsills@uncg.edu.
authors.forename: Stephen J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Sills
authors.affiliation: Eugene Applebaum School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Department of Pharmacy Practice, Wayne State University, 259 Mack Avenue, Suite 2134, Detroit, MI 48201, USA(2). Electronic address: ljaber@wayne.edu.
authors.forename: Linda A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Jaber
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D018912:Arabs / Q000523:psychology; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D065246:Culturally Competent Care / Q000208:ethnology*; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000191:economics / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D017048:Health Care Costs; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice / Q000208:ethnology*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054625:Healthcare Disparities / Q000208:ethnology; D006801:Humans; D007348:Insurance, Health; D008019:Life Style / Q000208:ethnology*; D008297:Male; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008824:Michigan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference / Q000208:ethnology; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D057545:Social Stigma; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Arabs; Diabetes mellitus; Focus groups; Health beliefs