Living with diabetes (type 2) among Bengali women
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Healthwatch Camden decided to do a project about type 2 diabetes amongst Bengali women because it is the second most common long term condition in the borough and particularly problematic amongst Asian ethnicities. They surveyed 61 Bengali women.
Bengali women living with type 2 diabetes spoke of its impact on their emotional and physical well-being, compounded by cultural and structural barriers. A central conflict emerges between the medical necessity of managing diabetes and the women's roles as primary caregivers and their cultural food traditions. While women demonstrate proactivity in making lifestyle changes, they feel underserved by current healthcare advice and express a strong demand for more culturally and linguistically tailored support, particularly around diet, physical activity, and community-based, female-only services.