Abstract

Health literacy is an important factor in the self management of diabetes. Furthermore, an informed partnership between health professionals and patients-as-consumers that is based on a both-ways or reciprocal knowing of each other’s culturally constructed understanding of the disease has been found necessary. According to national statistics in Australia, diabetes among migrants has become a priority health issue (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2007). Many reasons such as life style, inappropriate health care services, and barriers to accessing ambulatory health care services have been suggested for the increased incidence, complications and mortality rate from diabetes among the overseas born population in Australia (Dixon & Webbie, 2005). Since diabetes is a lifelong disease, patients require knowledge of both theoretical and practical self-management techniques to manage it in their everyday life. As health literacy has become a very recent concern for the Australian Health service system, and particularly for managing ‘diabetes’; health literacy in general and diabetes literacy in particular requires further investigation among culturally and linguistically diverse individuals living with diabetes. This issue is explored through an analysis of adults as learners, multicultural health education and reciprocal knowing in the context of diabetes literacy.