September 28, 2018
Turuki tackles diabetes data gap
A south Auckland general practitioner is endorsing a University of Otago study that identified the need for greater ethnic targeting in addressing type 2 diabetes.
A study published in the journal Nutrients found the ability to understand information about the disease and willingness to engage in it differs among ethnic groups.
Ethnic minorities tend to receive less diabetes education, have less knowledge about the condition, are less engaged with diabetes services, and experience higher emotional distress about it.
That’s despite the prevalence of diabetes being higher among Māori, Pacific and Indian people compared with those of European descent.
Lily Fraser from Turuki Healthcare says it’s hard to provide all the information needed in a 15 minute consultation.
That’s why Turuki runs group sessions around diabetes and nutrition, with the information also posted on its Low carb healthy fanau Facebook page. .
"We recommend low carb, high fat nutrition for diabetes and we have made an informed decision based on the evidence available in research to make that decision and I think that is one of the things that came through, that there is some conflict of information that is available to patients," she says.
Dr Fraser says nutrition is barely covered at medical school, so many GPs aren’t able to give good advice to their patients.
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