Kalra Sanjay, Balhara Yatan Pal Singh, Mithal Ambrish
Department of Endocrinology, Bharti Hospital and B.R.I.D.E, Karnal, Haryana, India.
Department of Psychiatry, AIIMS, New Delhi, India.
J Midlife Health. 2013 Jul;4(3):176-81. doi: 10.4103/0976-7800.118998.
Cross-cultural differences in attitudes and practices related to diabetes are well-known. Similar differences in symptom reporting of endocrine conditions such as menopause are well documented. Minimal literature is available on the cross-cultural variation in reporting of hypoglycemic symptoms.
This cross-sectional study aimed to assess the symptoms of hypoglycemia encountered by diabetologists who deal with patients from different language groups from various states of North and West India and Nepal.
Eighty three doctors from six Indian states and Nepal, attending a continuing medical education program were requested to fill a detailed, pre-tested, Likert scale based questionnaire which assessed the frequency and symptoms with which patients presented with hypoglycemia in their clinical practice. Data were analyzed based on geographic location of the diabetologists and language spoken by their patients (Hindi vs. Gujarati).
Gujarati-speaking patients tended to report to their doctors, a greater inability to work under pressure and a higher frequency of intense hunger during hypoglycemia. They were less likely to report specific adrenergic (inward trembling), neuroglycopenic (feeling down over nothing), and nocturnal (crumpled bedsheets upon waking up) symptoms.
Significant cross-cultural differences related to the symptomatology of hypoglycemia are noted. Indian diabetologists should be aware of the varying presentation of hypoglycemia based on language and ethnic background.
糖尿病相关态度和行为的跨文化差异广为人知。更年期等内分泌疾病症状报告方面的类似差异也有充分记录。关于低血糖症状报告的跨文化差异的文献极少。
这项横断面研究旨在评估诊治来自印度北部和西部不同邦以及尼泊尔不同语言群体患者的糖尿病专家所遇到的低血糖症状。
邀请了来自印度六个邦和尼泊尔的83名参加继续医学教育项目的医生填写一份详细的、经过预测试的、基于李克特量表的问卷，该问卷评估了患者在临床实践中出现低血糖的频率和症状。根据糖尿病专家的地理位置及其患者所讲语言（印地语与古吉拉特语）对数据进行分析。
讲古吉拉特语的患者向医生报告，在低血糖期间更难以承受工作压力，强烈饥饿的频率更高。他们报告特定肾上腺素能症状（内心颤抖）、神经低血糖症状（无端情绪低落）和夜间症状（醒来时床单皱巴巴）的可能性较小。
注意到低血糖症状学方面存在显著的跨文化差异。印度糖尿病专家应意识到基于语言和种族背景的低血糖表现差异。
