Intergenerational differences in healthy eating beliefs among British Pakistanis with type 2 diabetes

There are growing concerns on how to prevent, slow down and induce remission of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Recent evidence has found diet and lifestyle interventions can cause remission of T2DM, however, there are challenges for diverse groups such as British Pakistanis who are four times more at risk of T2DM. There is a need to understand the food behaviours of different generational groups to develop culturally appropriate strategies to support diabetes prevention programmes.

This study explores beliefs about healthy eating and food practices related to T2DM among British Pakistanis to understand the challenges they face in implementing healthy diets.

We carried out 26 semi-structured qualitative interviews via telephone and face-to-face. The sample included T2DM British Pakistanis living in Bradford (UK), aged between 18 and 71 with a mean age of 50 (SD = 17.04). Among the participants, 14 were women (54%) and 12 were men (46%), with interviews conducted in both English (76%) and Urdu (24%). Participants were grouped under three generation groups based on age (first generation 65+; second generation 40-64; younger generation 18-39 years). There was no biological link between the generational groups, and they were not part of the same family. Data were analysed using qualitative reflexive thematic analysis.

Findings were categorised into three themes: knowledge and awareness of diabetes symptoms; social and family context of food practices and making sense of healthy eating. The family was the fundamental unit of understanding food-related health behaviours. Eating traditional food was perceived as healthy and deemed practical for first generations who were the initial members of their family to settle in the UK as well as the second generations who had parents born in Pakistan. Younger British Pakistanis were born in the UK and reported that they struggled to eat alternative foods within the home and manage their T2DM.

These findings improve our understanding of how three generations of British Pakistanis with T2DM negotiate healthy diets. There is a need for culturally tailored diet modifications and interventions, where different generational needs can be specifically targeted to adopt healthier diets which should be shared and encouraged.