Cultural aspects of diabetes mellitus in Sudan

Diabetes is an increasingly important problem in Sudan, being responsible for 10% of hospital admissions and mortality. This review aims to study the impact of cultural factors on diabetic patients. The impact of the following factors are discussed: fatalism, religious practices, cultural misconceptions, family and gender issues and cultural dietary aspects. Sudan is a multicultural society, with African, Arab, Islamic and Christian roots. Examining the cultural aspects of a common disease such as diabetes is the first step in setting up culture‐sensitive management programmes, and ultimately improving diabetes care. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.