Beliefs About Illness: Comparing Foreign- and Native-born Persons with Type 2 Diabetes Living in Sweden in a Cross-sectional Survey

Overview

Journal Prim Health Care Res Dev

Publisher Cambridge University Press

Specialties Health Services
Public Health

Date 2023 May 24

PMID 37221890

Authors

Emina Hadziabdic

Katarina Hjelm

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aim: Based on previous qualitative studies, it was hypothesised that dissimilarities in beliefs about illness, which influence healthcare-seeking behaviour, exist between foreign- and native-born persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes living in Sweden (in the following termed 'Swedish-born').

Background: Beliefs about illness are individual, culturally related, based on knowledge, and guide health-related behaviour, and thus have an impact on health. The question is whether beliefs differ between foreign- and native-born persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. No previous comparative studies have been found on this. Based on previous qualitative studies, it was hypothesised that dissimilarities in beliefs about illness, which influence healthcare-seeking behaviour, exist between foreign- and native-born (Swedish) persons diagnosed with type 2 diabetes living in Sweden.

Methods: Cross-sectional survey, 138 participants, comprising 69 foreign- and 69 Swedish-born persons aged 33-90 vs 48-91 years. Data were analysed with descriptive and analytic statistics.

Findings: Beliefs about illness differed between foreign- and Swedish-born persons concerning causes of diabetes and healthcare-seeking behaviour. Foreign-born persons more often than Swedish-born persons reported uncertainty or lack of knowledge about whether heredity (67% vs 90%, = 0.002) and pancreatic disease (40% vs 62%, = 0.037) could cause diabetes. To a higher extent than Swedish-born persons, they reported that emotional stress and anxiety could cause the disease. Furthermore, they claimed they had sought care due to diabetes during the last 6 months to a higher extent than Swedish-born persons (30% vs 4%, = 0.000).The findings confirmed that dissimilarities in beliefs about illness, including the causes of diabetes and healthcare-seeking behaviour, exist between foreign- and Swedish-born persons with type 2 diabetes.

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