Table 2.

Summary Characteristics of qualitative studies

First Author, Pub.Year.	Study Settings/population/duration/sample size	Study’s Aim	Study design/tools used	Findings
Alzubaidi et al., 2015	Many health care settings including diabetes outpatient clinics in two tertiary referral hospitals, six primary care practices and ten community centres.	A comparison between Arabic-speaking and English-speaking patients with type 2 diabetes regarding the experience of using medications and associated issues	Total participants N = 100 Arabic speaking n = 60 English-speaking n = 40 face-to-face semi structured individual interviews and group interviews. The questions were related to medicine taking behaviours and this include: Knowledge, views and communication with health care providers about medicine.	1- Arabic-speaking individuals (ASB) often neglect to take medication due to their skepticism towards Western medicine. Furthermore, they tend to deliberately postpone seeking medical care when signs of diabetes appear. 2- There exists a belief among ASBs that enduring illness brings them closer to God. 3- ASBs expressed dissatisfaction about the lack of sustained dialogue with healthcare professionals. Instead, they lean significantly on relatives and friends for guidance concerning their prescribed therapies. 4- The Arabic-speaking community tends to have a negative perception of diabetes, viewing it as a social stigma. They believe that individuals with diabetes no longer fully integrate within their society.
Bertran et al., 2015	Self-identified Arab or Arab American 18 years and above with diagnosis of diabetes. Communities and pharmacies in Michigan N = 23	Understand the barriers and facilitators of diabetes self-management education (DSME) among Arab Americans.	3 Focus groups sessions used with questions aimed to explore the perceptions on DSM.	Cultural views on gender roles reveal inappropriateness of the female participants participation in mixed-gender exercise programs. Female participants expressed satisfaction with the physician’s non-interactive and directive style of interaction. Participants participation during the Ramadan, a cultural tradition, could supersede the advice of the provider and can impact the DSME The major barriers for DSME are the lack of available educational and support resources. Physician’s interaction style and comprehensiveness of care were the two most important features influencing participants’ views of patient-provider interactions.
Alzubaidi et al., 2015	Recruitment occurred at diabetes outpatient clinics in 2 tertiary referral hospitals, 6 primary care practices and 10 community centres	To explore the decision-making processes and associated barriers and enablers that determine access and use of healthcare services in Arabic-speaking and English-speaking Caucasian patients with diabetes in Australia	Total participants N = 100 Arabic speaking n = 60 English-speaking n = 40 face-to-face semi structured individual interviews and group interviews. Duration of interviews ranged between 30 and 110 min The questions were related to who ASB approached when symptoms of diabetes developed, when and how they made a decision to access and use healthcare services, what are some associated barriers and enablers, perceptions about healthcare professionals, and knowledge of available diabetes healthcare services	1- English-speaking individuals typically consult a general practitioner within days or weeks of noticing symptoms, whereas Arabic-speaking individuals usually delay such visits for months. 2- Compared to their English-speaking counterparts, Arabic-speaking immigrants have demonstrated less awareness of the non-medical services currently accessible for diabetes management. 3- The strong belief held by Arabic-speaking persons, encompassing ideas like “human life is ephemeral” and the notion that seeking medical aid is futile as death is inevitable, impacts their health behaviors. Additionally, they perceive enduring illnesses such as diabetes as a sign of proximity to God (Allah) and a path to absolution of sins. Consequently, their motivation to participate in self-management of diabetes is diminished.
Fitz et al., 2016	Health care facilities in Dearborn, Michigan	Measuring perspectives of the meaning of diabetes self-management and its culture related barriers and facilitators amongst Arab American providers and patients	Five focus groups Two sessions involved n = 8 Arab American healthcare practitioners. Three sessions were conducted with n = 23 Arab American patients with T2D.	1- Individuals with diabetes have disclosed that their main obstacle to Diabetes Self-Management (DSM) is the absence of structured Diabetes Self-Management Education (DSME) programs. 2- Those suffering from Type 2 Diabetes (T2D) expressed that they do not experience stigma due to their condition. 3- Participants conveyed that DSM is challenging due to the stress they encounter, which they often attribute to familial circumstances.
Alzubaidi et al., 2016	Recruitment occurred at diabetes outpatient clinics in two tertiary referral hospitals, three primary care practices and two community centres.	To explore a new model for diabetes self-management support amongst Arabic-speaking immigrants in Australia.	Recruitment occurred at diabetes outpatient clinics in two tertiary referral hospitals, three primary care practices and two community centres. Total participants N = 60  N = 14 face-to face individual semi-structured interviews N = 8 group interviews involving 46 participants.	1- Participants conveyed that living with diabetes signifies a lifetime affliction and a significantly reduced quality of life. They indicated receiving information about self-management only upon diagnosis. This lack of comprehensive knowledge renders Arabic-speaking individuals less confident in their ability to control their diabetes. 2- Participants expressed feeling unsupported, stressed, and anxious. They expressed concerns that emotional distress related to diabetes is not sufficiently addressed during medical consultations. They appealed for increased emotional support and better education to handle daily stress levels. They also sought guidance on diabetes-friendly food options and appropriate daily portion sizes. Participants demonstrated a preference for in-person interaction and sharing of experiences over phone counselling or online-based interventions. Furthermore, they showed a preference for an Arabic-speaking physician or diabetes nurse educator to guide them in self-management, not only for language comprehension but also for cultural context understanding.