Diabetes Self-Care and Educational Needs in Tanzanian and Swedish Diabetic Patients: A Cross-Cultural Study

The aim was to compare self-care and perceived educational needs in adult Tanzanian and Swedish diabetic patients. One hundred and fifty Tanzanians were matched with Swedes ( n=150). All 300 patients filled in questionnaires about their self-care and educational needs. The comparison indicated the Tanzanians were almost as satisfied with their self-care as the Swedes, but Tanzanians were dissatisfied with the lack of drugs and wanted more diabetes education while the Swedes were more dissatisfied with their own self-care behaviour. None of the Tanzanians monitored their own blood glucose, whereas half the patients in the Swedish group did so weekly or monthly. The findings suggest that diabetes education in Tanzania should concentrate more on basic diabetes knowledge. In Sweden, however, the main points to be stressed should be life style and psychology.