"Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious": The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members

Rebecca Carman; Amanda Towell-Barnard; Mark Shah; Elizabeth Davis; Louise Maple-Brown; Glenn Pearson; Diana Arabiat; Renae Kirkham; Lisa Whitehead

doi:10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.03.008

"Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious": The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members

Rebecca Carman, Amanda Towell-Barnard, Mark Shah, Elizabeth Davis, Louise Maple-Brown, Glenn Pearson, Diana Arabiat, Renae Kirkham, Lisa Whitehead

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

3 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: In Australia, Aboriginal children experience disproportionate rates of type 2 diabetes compared to non-Aboriginal children. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes and their family members to better understand the influences of type 2 diabetes on self-management with findings used to inform an enhanced service models of care.

METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposely selected Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes, their parents, and guardians. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed in NVivo through interpretative thematic analysis; overarching themes were generated.

RESULTS: Interviews with 24 participants, including eight adolescents aged 11-16 years were conducted across four regions of Western Australia. A high proportion of the adolescents were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during a non-related hospitalisation or medical appointment. Most did not fully understand, nor were aware of the long-term impact of type 2 diabetes. Discussions about diabetes within families did not typically occur, and shame and concealment of their diagnosis was a common finding. Parents described the adolescent's diagnosis of type 2 diabetes as compounding an already challenging set of circumstances for the family. This impacted the parents capacity to encourage and promote self-management activities and attend hospital and outpatient appointments.

CONCLUSION: This study privileges the voices of Aboriginal adolescents and family members and offers insight into their personal narrative living with type 2 diabetes. Building family and community capacity to normalise preventative activities and manage type 2 diabetes post-diagnosis, is recommended to address the escalating rates of diabetes and improve the health outcomes.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	420-427
Number of pages	8
Journal	Canadian Journal of Diabetes
Volume	47
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.03.008
Publication status	Published - Jul 2023
Externally published	Yes

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Carman, R., Towell-Barnard, A., Shah, M., Davis, E., Maple-Brown, L., Pearson, G., Arabiat, D., Kirkham, R., & Whitehead, L. (2023). "Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious": The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members. Canadian Journal of Diabetes, 47(5), 420-427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.03.008

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title = "{"}Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious{"}: The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members",

abstract = "OBJECTIVES: In Australia, Aboriginal children experience disproportionate rates of type 2 diabetes compared to non-Aboriginal children. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes and their family members to better understand the influences of type 2 diabetes on self-management with findings used to inform an enhanced service models of care.METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposely selected Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes, their parents, and guardians. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed in NVivo through interpretative thematic analysis; overarching themes were generated.RESULTS: Interviews with 24 participants, including eight adolescents aged 11-16 years were conducted across four regions of Western Australia. A high proportion of the adolescents were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during a non-related hospitalisation or medical appointment. Most did not fully understand, nor were aware of the long-term impact of type 2 diabetes. Discussions about diabetes within families did not typically occur, and shame and concealment of their diagnosis was a common finding. Parents described the adolescent's diagnosis of type 2 diabetes as compounding an already challenging set of circumstances for the family. This impacted the parents capacity to encourage and promote self-management activities and attend hospital and outpatient appointments.CONCLUSION: This study privileges the voices of Aboriginal adolescents and family members and offers insight into their personal narrative living with type 2 diabetes. Building family and community capacity to normalise preventative activities and manage type 2 diabetes post-diagnosis, is recommended to address the escalating rates of diabetes and improve the health outcomes.",

author = "Rebecca Carman and Amanda Towell-Barnard and Mark Shah and Elizabeth Davis and Louise Maple-Brown and Glenn Pearson and Diana Arabiat and Renae Kirkham and Lisa Whitehead",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.03.008",

language = "English",

volume = "47",

pages = "420--427",

journal = "Canadian Journal of Diabetes",

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}

Carman, R, Towell-Barnard, A, Shah, M, Davis, E, Maple-Brown, L, Pearson, G, Arabiat, D, Kirkham, R & Whitehead, L 2023, '"Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious": The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members', Canadian Journal of Diabetes, vol. 47, no. 5, pp. 420-427. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.03.008

"Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious": The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members. / Carman, Rebecca; Towell-Barnard, Amanda; Shah, Mark et al.
In: Canadian Journal of Diabetes, Vol. 47, No. 5, 07.2023, p. 420-427.

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

TY - JOUR

T1 - "Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious"

T2 - The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members

AU - Carman, Rebecca

AU - Towell-Barnard, Amanda

AU - Shah, Mark

AU - Davis, Elizabeth

AU - Maple-Brown, Louise

AU - Pearson, Glenn

AU - Arabiat, Diana

AU - Kirkham, Renae

AU - Whitehead, Lisa

PY - 2023/7

Y1 - 2023/7

N2 - OBJECTIVES: In Australia, Aboriginal children experience disproportionate rates of type 2 diabetes compared to non-Aboriginal children. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes and their family members to better understand the influences of type 2 diabetes on self-management with findings used to inform an enhanced service models of care.METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposely selected Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes, their parents, and guardians. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed in NVivo through interpretative thematic analysis; overarching themes were generated.RESULTS: Interviews with 24 participants, including eight adolescents aged 11-16 years were conducted across four regions of Western Australia. A high proportion of the adolescents were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during a non-related hospitalisation or medical appointment. Most did not fully understand, nor were aware of the long-term impact of type 2 diabetes. Discussions about diabetes within families did not typically occur, and shame and concealment of their diagnosis was a common finding. Parents described the adolescent's diagnosis of type 2 diabetes as compounding an already challenging set of circumstances for the family. This impacted the parents capacity to encourage and promote self-management activities and attend hospital and outpatient appointments.CONCLUSION: This study privileges the voices of Aboriginal adolescents and family members and offers insight into their personal narrative living with type 2 diabetes. Building family and community capacity to normalise preventative activities and manage type 2 diabetes post-diagnosis, is recommended to address the escalating rates of diabetes and improve the health outcomes.

AB - OBJECTIVES: In Australia, Aboriginal children experience disproportionate rates of type 2 diabetes compared to non-Aboriginal children. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes and their family members to better understand the influences of type 2 diabetes on self-management with findings used to inform an enhanced service models of care.METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposely selected Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents with type 2 diabetes, their parents, and guardians. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed in NVivo through interpretative thematic analysis; overarching themes were generated.RESULTS: Interviews with 24 participants, including eight adolescents aged 11-16 years were conducted across four regions of Western Australia. A high proportion of the adolescents were diagnosed with type 2 diabetes during a non-related hospitalisation or medical appointment. Most did not fully understand, nor were aware of the long-term impact of type 2 diabetes. Discussions about diabetes within families did not typically occur, and shame and concealment of their diagnosis was a common finding. Parents described the adolescent's diagnosis of type 2 diabetes as compounding an already challenging set of circumstances for the family. This impacted the parents capacity to encourage and promote self-management activities and attend hospital and outpatient appointments.CONCLUSION: This study privileges the voices of Aboriginal adolescents and family members and offers insight into their personal narrative living with type 2 diabetes. Building family and community capacity to normalise preventative activities and manage type 2 diabetes post-diagnosis, is recommended to address the escalating rates of diabetes and improve the health outcomes.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.03.008

DO - 10.1016/j.jcjd.2023.03.008

M3 - Article

C2 - 37037417

SN - 1499-2671

VL - 47

SP - 420

EP - 427

JO - Canadian Journal of Diabetes

JF - Canadian Journal of Diabetes

IS - 5

ER -

"Sometimes our mob don't really take it serious until it's serious": The experiences of Western Australian Aboriginal adolescents living with type 2 diabetes, their parents and family members

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