Diabetes educational videos developed for Chinese community
Do you come from a Chinese background?
Did you know western Sydney is a diabetes hotspot with disease rates higher than the NSW average and the Chinese community has a 70 per cent increased chance of developing type 2 diabetes?
Western Sydney Diabetes (WSD) has developed a series of educational videos in Chinese to educate the Mandarin-speaking community in western Sydney on diabetes.
The videos were launched on the Chinese social media messaging app, WeChat (click here) on July 15 as part of National Diabetes Week 2022 (July 10-16).
Each video covers on topics related to diabetes care and management.
They are also available on YouTube, here.
Type 2 diabetes is a condition where a person becomes resistant to insulin or their pancreas is no longer able to produce enough insulin to counteract the food eaten.
Western Sydney Diabetes was established in response to the growing threat diabetes poses to our community’s health and wellbeing.
The videos were developed in collaboration with the NSW Multicultural Health Communication Service (MHCS), a state-wide health service established by NSW Health to strengthen the capacity of health services and programs to effectively and appropriately communicate with people from culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) backgrounds and coordinate the provision of multilingual health information.
The videos, delivered by a WSD endocrinologist, WSLHD Credentialed Diabetes Educators and other health specialists, not only target people from Chinese backgrounds but GPs to pass on to their patients.
WSD endocrinologist at Westmead Hospital Dr Cecilia Chi said the access to diabetes education in western Sydney is “limited”.
“Our project aims to provide our local Chinese community with culturally and linguistically appropriate resources for education,” Dr Chi said.
Deputy Director of MHCS, Jesusa Helaratne, said through the promotion of these videos on the MHCS WeChat platform, they hope to deliver key
health messages that are accurate and timely about managing diabetes that will make a significant difference in people’s lives.
“We are pleased to support the diabetes education series program that aims to help Chinese speaking community members to manage their health
effectively,” Ms Helaratne said.
WSD’s Primary Preventions Officer, Aruni Ratnayake, said the success of the videos was thanks to both the passion of the health professionals who donated their time to record and translate the video content as well as the collaboration between WSD and MHCS to reach the Chinese community on MHCS WeChat platform.
WSD is encouraging anyone who is at high risk to go to their GP and get tested for a free HbA1c test.
This includes Chinese adults in western Sydney who have more than one of the following risk factors:
- A family history of diabetes;
- An inactive lifestyle;
- Above a healthy weight; and
- Had diabetes during a pregnancy.
It is important to speak to your GP regularly if you think you could be at risk and work with them on a plan to support you.
This could include an annual HbA1c test for eligible people which will help your GP to diagnose and monitor your diabetes or risk of developing it.
Topics include:
Video | Topic |
01 | What is diabetes
|
02 | Blood Glucose level checking
|
03 | Hypoglycaemia
|
04 | What contains carbohydrates?
|
05 | Diabetes and exercise
|
06 | What is a low GI diet part 1
|
07 | What is a low GI diet part 2
|
08 | Diabetes and sleep
|
09 | Diabetes and driving
|
10 | Gestational diabetes
|
11 | Diabetes and weight loss
|
12 | Diabetes and feet
|
13 | Diabetes and eye disease
|
14 | Diabetes and heart disease
|
15 | Diabetes and kidney disease
|
16 | Diabetes and liver
|
17 | Diabetes medicines – How to inject insulin |
18 | Diabetes medicines – SGLT2 inhibitors
|
19 | Diabetes medicines – GLP1 agonists
|
20 | National Diabetes Services Scheme
|
21 | GP management plan
|
22 | Access a diabetes educator |
