Paper short abstract:

This is an ethnographic study conducted among a group of older South Asian migrants living in Australia with diabetes. It explores their expereinces and challenges of grappling with uncertainties that are sometimes intrinsic to migrant life and with the uncertainties that come with living with diabetes.

Paper long abstract:

In Australia the incidence of diabetes among South Asian migrants is much higher than the mainstream population. Social and cultural aspects such as lower levels of literacy, and lower income levels are reported as having a positive relationship with poor management and higher prevalence of diabetes among migrants. National statistics state that Sri Lankans in Australia have a higher socio economic status. Despite this socio economic advantage, Sri Lankan migrants have one of the highest standardised prevalence ratios of diabetes in the Australian society. There is a body of literature that states that upon migration, the chances of getting diabetes for this group of people increase due to changes in psychological, social and economic conditions that they undergo and ageing. This ethnographic study attempts to identify the lived experiences of a chronic illness from the perspective of migrants. This study unveils themes of uncertainty about life plans, projection of this uncertainty on the management of diabetes, mistrust towards health professionals, the impact of culture specific gender roles on diabetes management, perspectives towards causation of diabetes related to stress caused by the uncertainty of employment, social and cultural alienation, and due to cultural and religious beliefs and attitudes. In this paper I argue that although Sri Lankans' socio economic situation is higher than other migrant groups, their high prevalence and poor management may be related to a lifestyle that is based on the migrant experiences of uncertainty, cultural and social isolation, culture specific gender roles and health beliefs.