Outcomes of Culturally Tailored Dietary Intervention in the North African and Bangladeshi Diabetic Patients in Italy

Laura Piombo, Gianluca Nicolella, Giulia Barbarossa, Claudio Tubili, Mayme Mary Pandolfo, Miriam Castaldo, Gianfranco Costanzo, Concetta Mirisola and Andrea Cavani
Additional contact information
Laura Piombo: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), 00153 Rome, Italy
Gianluca Nicolella: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), 00153 Rome, Italy
Giulia Barbarossa: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), 00153 Rome, Italy
Claudio Tubili: Diabetes Unit, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, 00152 Rome, Italy
Mayme Mary Pandolfo: Diabetes Unit, San Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, 00152 Rome, Italy
Miriam Castaldo: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), 00153 Rome, Italy
Gianfranco Costanzo: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), 00153 Rome, Italy
Concetta Mirisola: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), 00153 Rome, Italy
Andrea Cavani: National Institute for Health, Migration and Poverty (INMP/NIHMP), 00153 Rome, Italy

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 23, 1-12

Abstract: Immigrants show higher adjusted diabetes prevalence than Italians, especially among South-East Asians followed by North and Sub-Saharan Africans. Diabetes progression is influenced by food behaviors, and diet control is a critical aspect in disease management. Food habits have many cultural and symbolic implications. Guidelines recommend that every patient should receive appropriate self-management education according to cultural and socioeconomic characteristics. This study aims to test whether a customized diet and transcultural mediator’s support can improve immigrants’ food habits. A pre-post quali-quantitative study was conducted among 20–79-year-old Bangladeshi and North African diabetic immigrants. The INMP transcultural mediator, an expert in the social and health care field, actively participates in clinical activity by decoding linguistic and cultural needs expressed by the foreigner patient. Five culturally tailored dietary profiles were designed according to international diabetes guidelines and adjusted to traditional food habits. Data were collected with two different semi-structured questionnaires. Changes in food consumption were assessed through McNemar’s test, while paired Wilcoxon Signed-Rank test was used to analyze pre and post intervention. Fifty-five patients were enrolled. At follow-up, cereals, meat, and potatoes intake significantly improved, and the number of adequate dietary habits for each patient increased significantly. Transcultural mediator support was 90% positively evaluated. Adherence to dietary control is favorably influenced by a transcultural intervention, which is based on clinical and socio-cultural criteria, in compliance with patient’s lifestyles.

Keywords: migrants; diabetes; food habits; culturally tailored diet; transcultural mediator (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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