A Qualitative Exploration of Diabetes Professionals' Perspectives on Social Determinants of Health Among Black and South Asian With Type 2 Diabetes in Ontario.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate how diabetes-related professionals perceive the impact of social determinants of health on diabetes outcomes among Black and South Asian populations in Ontario and to identify perceived opportunities and gaps in current responses.

METHODS

A qualitative study was conducted using stakeholder consultation data from 5 focus groups (n=21) with both frontline (individuals directly engaged in delivering diabetes care services) and population-level professionals (individuals working in public health settings or in systems-level roles that influence diabetes care delivery) across Ontario. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to construct key themes.

RESULTS

Participants identified food insecurity, health care access, inadequate housing, and social support as major factors affecting diabetes outcomes for Black and South Asian populations. Although individual-level interventions provided short-term support, they were constrained by funding limitations and failed to address upstream structural barriers. Frontline professionals emphasized the need for population-level action to relieve the burden on community organizations in filling systemic gaps.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings underscore the need for systems-level policies targeting upstream social determinants to support equitable diabetes prevention and management in Ontario among Black and South Asian populations.