{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T16:05:42Z","timestamp":1784563542150,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":16,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1784505600000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":19,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["bmjph"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,17]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Health-seeking behaviours among individuals with diabetes are complex and shaped by multiple factors, including financial constraints, cultural beliefs, attitudes towards the disease, access to healthcare and social support. This research explores the health-seeking behaviours of women with type 2 diabetes mellitus and the sociocultural factors influencing self-management of diabetes using the Social Ecological Model as a framework. The study aims to gain insight into improving the health-seeking behaviours of women with type 2 diabetes mellitus.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study employs an in-depth descriptive qualitative approach which provides deep insights into the experiences and perspectives of diabetic women. Data collection involved using in-depth semistructured interviews from 14 type 2 diabetic women attending a public sector tertiary care hospital in Islamabad. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes and insights from the data.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings revealed that multilevel factors such as individual, interpersonal, organisational, community and policy level factors influence health-seeking behaviours and self-management practices among diabetic women. There is non-adherence to self-management practices due to low motivation, financial constraints and time constraints. Medical treatment is thought to be crucial in controlling diabetes rather than bringing changes in behaviour.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The findings of this study will help in designing gender-sensitive and culturally appropriate interventions. Collaboration between healthcare providers and policymakers is required to design culturally sensitive interventions in order to educate and empower women to follow self-management practices.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjph-2025-003497","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T15:25:14Z","timestamp":1784561114000},"page":"e003497","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Health-seeking behaviours and sociocultural factors influencing self-management of diabetes mellitus type 2 among women: a descriptive qualitative study from Islamabad, Pakistan"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"4","author":[{"given":"Sundus","family":"Majid","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2056-4132","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Babar Tasneem","family":"Shaikh","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0240938","article-title":"Factors influencing self-management in relation to type 2 diabetes in Africa: A qualitative systematic review","volume":"15","author":"Suglo","year":"2020","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"176","DOI":"10.1071\/PY18095","article-title":"Factors influencing self-management in patients with type 2 diabetes in general practice: a qualitative study","volume":"25","author":"Dao","year":"2019","journal-title":"Aust J Prim Health"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.3","first-page":"250","article-title":"Barriers to Effective Diabetes Mellitus Self-Management (DMSM) Practice for Glycemic Uncontrolled Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM): A Socio Cultural Context of Indonesian Communities in West Sulawesi","volume":"10","author":"Pamungkas","year":"2019","journal-title":"Eur J Investig Health Psychol Educ"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.4","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"534873","DOI":"10.3389\/fendo.2020.534873","article-title":"Type 2 Diabetes Patients\u2019 Perspectives, Experiences, and Barriers Toward Diabetes-Related Self-Care: A Qualitative Study From Pakistan","volume":"11","author":"Bukhsh","year":"2020","journal-title":"Front Endocrinol"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Rizqillah AF , Ma\u2019rifah AR , eds. Factors influencing health seeking behavior among type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. In: 1st International Conference on Community Health (ICCH 2019), Atlantis Press; 2020","DOI":"10.2991\/ahsr.k.200204.001"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1414903","DOI":"10.3389\/fpubh.2024.1414903","article-title":"How health seeking behavior develops in patients with type 2 diabetes: a qualitative study based on health belief model in China","volume":"12","author":"Du","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Public Health"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.7","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.11604\/pamj.2022.41.279.33723","article-title":"The relationship between perceived social support from family and diabetes self-management among patients in Uganda","volume":"41","author":"Onyango","year":"2022","journal-title":"Pan Afr Med J"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.9","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0304708","article-title":"Perception of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients on diabetes self-care management in Fiji","volume":"19","author":"Kumar","year":"2024","journal-title":"PLoS One"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Thapa S , Pyakurel P , Baral D , et al . Health care seeking behaviour among people living with Type-2 diabetes in rural area of Eastern. Int J Pub Health Safe 2019;1171. doi:10.1186\/s12889-019-7506-6","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-019-7506-6"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.4103\/jehp.jehp_1307_22","article-title":"Investigating the factors affecting the self-care behaviors of patients with type II diabetes and the role of demographic variables: A case study in Iran","volume":"12","author":"Montazeri","year":"2023","journal-title":"J Educ Health Promot"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"7003","DOI":"10.1002\/nop2.1956","article-title":"Patient perspective on barriers in type 2 diabetes self-management: A qualitative study","volume":"10","author":"Tuobenyiere","year":"2023","journal-title":"Nurs Open"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1186\/s12889-021-11308-4","article-title":"Barriers to and facilitators of diabetes self-management practices in Rupandehi, Nepal- multiple stakeholders\u2019 perspective","volume":"21","author":"Adhikari","year":"2021","journal-title":"BMC Public Health"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.14","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"843","DOI":"10.1016\/j.pec.2021.07.017","article-title":"Participation in structured diabetes self-management education programs and its associations with self-management behaviour - a nationwide population-based study","volume":"105","author":"Carmienke","year":"2022","journal-title":"Patient Educ Couns"},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.15","unstructured":"Patel AY . Managing type 2 diabetes in the South Asian population in the United Kingdom. PhD Thesis, University of Edinburgh; 2024."},{"key":"2026072008250681000_4.3.e003497.16","first-page":"139","article-title":"Dietary practices and barriers to dietary modification among diabetics and hypertensives in a rural health service area of Puducherry: A qualitative study","volume":"7","author":"Gehlawat","year":"2018","journal-title":"Int J Health Allied Sci"}],"container-title":["BMJ Public Health"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/syndication.highwire.org\/content\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjph-2025-003497","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]],"date-time":"2026-07-20T15:25:17Z","timestamp":1784561117000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/bmjpublichealth.bmj.com\/lookup\/doi\/10.1136\/bmjph-2025-003497"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]},"references-count":16,"journal-issue":{"issue":"3","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,20]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1136\/bmjph-2025-003497"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjph-2025-003497","relation":{},"ISSN":["2753-4294"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2753-4294","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,7]]}}}