Understanding barriers and facilitators to education and rehabilitation interventions for South Asian people with long-term conditions: a systematic review and meta-ethnography

TL;DR

This study explores why South Asian people in the UK struggle to access health education and rehabilitation programs, and how cultural sensitivity can help improve their engagement.

Contribution

The study identifies specific cultural and societal barriers and facilitators for South Asian populations in accessing group health interventions.

Findings

Four themes emerged: faith, culture, communication, and safe space and professional relationship, each containing barriers and facilitators.

Current interventions often lack cultural sensitivity, especially for South Asian women, who face additional societal barriers.

Culturally tailored strategies, such as flexible scheduling and gender-sensitive adaptations, could improve engagement and outcomes.

Abstract

South Asian populations in the UK experience increased health risks related to long-term conditions, exacerbated by underdiagnosis, cultural differences in help-seeking behaviours, language barriers, low health literacy and a lack of culturally sensitive services. We know that group interventions that include education and rehabilitation, such as cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation, are highly effective, but people from diverse communities often face barriers to access and engage with them. This review aims to synthesise evidence on the barriers and facilitators to education and rehabilitation interventions experienced by South Asian people living with long-term conditions.

A systematic review of qualitative studies using meta-ethnography as the analytical approach to synthesis was conducted, following Noblit and Hare’s approach, eMERGe Reporting Guidance for Meta-Ethnography, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Systematic searches were performed across MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, CENTRAL, EMBASE and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts from database inception through March 2024 (updated April 2025).

MEDLINE (Ovid), PsycINFO (Ovid), CINAHL (EBSCOhost platform), CENTRAL (Cochrane Library), EMBASE (Ovid), Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts (ProQuest platform) were searched from inception to March 2024 (updated April 2025).

We included qualitative research exploring the attitudes, views and experiences of South Asian adults (outside of South Asia) with diabetes, cardiovascular disease or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) regarding group treatments for these conditions.

Two independent reviewers searched, screened and coded studies, while remaining authors peer-reviewed. Study quality was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute Critical Appraisal Checklist for Qualitative Research. Data extraction and synthesis followed eMERGe and PRISMA reporting guidance, with findings synthesised qualitatively.

Of 8348 identified citations, 17 studies met inclusion criteria, providing data from South Asian people living with cardiovascular disease and diabetes mellitus. No studies including people with COPD met the inclusion criteria. Synthesis revealed four overarching themes, each incorporating both barriers and facilitators: faith, culture, communication, and safe space and professional relationship.

Findings indicate that current group education and rehabilitation interventions are not fully inclusive of South Asian needs, often lacking cultural sensitivity, which impedes engagement. Special attention is required for South Asian women, who can face additional cultural and societal barriers. Addressing these challenges through culturally sensitive care, such as flexible intervention scheduling around religious practices, gender-sensitive adaptations and culturally tailored communication strategies, has potential to improve engagement in education and rehabilitation interventions, and therefore long-term condition outcomes.

CRD42024493644.

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