Consuming Food and Constructing Identities among Arabic and South Asian Immigrant Women

Vallianatos, Helen; Raine, Kim D.

doi:10.2752/175174408x347900

Cited by 122 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 12 publications

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“…Findings have highlighted use of, preferences for and beliefs about traditional South Asian foods compared to 'western' foods [17][18][19][20] , as well as the cultural significance of foods for entertaining and celebrations 21,22 . Much of this research has been conducted in Britain and has examined food practices from the perspective of individuals rather than within family contexts.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Meanings of food, eating and health in Punjabi families living in Vancouver, Canada

Chapman

Ristovski-Slijepcevic

Beagan

2010

Health Education Journal

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Objective: South Asians living in western countries have increased risk for developing diet-related chronic disease compared to Caucasians of European heritage. To increase understanding of social and cultural factors associated with their food habits, this study examined the meanings of food, health and well-being embedded in the food practices of families of Punjabi heritage living in Metro Vancouver, Canada. Design: Qualitative research design. Setting: Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Method: Data collection included individual interviews with 39 members of 12 families of Punjabi Sikh origin (ages 13 to 70 years) and participant observation of a grocery shopping trip and family meal. Themes were generated through constant comparative analysis of transcripts to describe, organize and interpret influences on participants' food decision-making in families. Findings: Participants' descriptions of their eating habits were characterized by contrasts between elders' reliance on traditional Indian foods and young people's desire for their diets to include at least some 'western' food. Participants articulated two different understandings of how food habits affect physical health: a scientific approach that related specific food components (eg, fat, cholesterol, vitamins) to risk of chronic disease, and a view based on centuries of traditional knowledge about food. Food choice was also shaped by concerns for the psychosocial well-being of individual family members, exemplified by women's attention to food preferences of individuals in the family. Conclusion: These findings add to understanding of the varied ways food practices are implicated in constructing ethnic identities, and provide insight into cultural influences on health behaviours.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 96%

Meanings of food, eating and health in Punjabi families living in Vancouver, Canada

Chapman

Ristovski-Slijepcevic

Beagan

2010

Health Education Journal

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“…The community is equally divided between Muslims and Christians (2) . Religious affiliation is important to acknowledge in the Arab community since Muslims may follow dietary restrictions or prohibitions (31,32) . The target population of the present study is an established Catholic Middle Eastern community living in Montreal, Canada.…”

Section: Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Consumption patterns of sweetened food and drink products in a Catholic Middle Eastern Canadian community

Moubarac

Receveur

Cargo

et al. 2013

Public Health Nutr.

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Objective: The present study describes the consumption patterns of sweetened food and drink products in a Catholic Middle Eastern Canadian community and examines its associations with physical activity, sedentary behaviours and BMI. Design: A two-stage cross-sectional design was used. In Stage 1 (n 42), 24 h recalls enabled the identification of sweetened products. In Stage 2 (n 192), an FFQ was administered to measure the daily consumption of these products and to collect sociodemographic and behavioural data. Sweetened products were defined as processed culinary ingredients and ultra-processed products for which total sugar content exceeded 20 % of total energy. Setting: Three Catholic Middle Eastern churches located in Montreal, Canada. Subjects: Normoglycaemic men and women (18-60 years old). Results: Twenty-six sweetened products represented an average consumption of 75?4 g total sugars/d or 15?1 % of daily energy intake (n 190, 56 % women). Soft drinks, juices, sweetened coffee, chocolate, cookies, cakes and muffins were the main sources of consumption and mostly consumed between meals. Age (exp (b) 5 0?99; P , 0?01), physical activity (exp (b) 5 1?08; P , 0?01) and recreational computer use (exp (b) 5 1?17; P , 0?01) were independently associated with sweetened product consumption. The association between sweetened product consumption and physical activity was U-shaped. BMI was not significantly associated with sweetened product consumption but all participants regardless of BMI were above the WHO recommendation for free sugars. Conclusions: Being physically active and spending less time using a computer may favour a reduced consumption of sweetened products. Very active individuals may, however, overconsume such products.

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“…Many of these studies highlight the role of food for migrants in terms of nostalgia, place-making and retention of cultural identity Chapman et al, 2011;Hage, 1997;Marte, 2007;Raman, 2011;Ray, 2000;Vallianatos & Raine, 2008). For migrants, concepts of health are intertwined into symbolic and structural narratives of food.…”

Section: Approaches To the Study Of Dietary Change In Migrantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In most of Tamil Nadu, however, the spread of Christianity mainly followed colonial occupation of India. Some Christian communities observe specific periods of Cultural customs also continue to play an important role in food choice, with women in particular being shown to adhere more conscientiously to the dictates of religious taboos and rules (Hunt, 1977;Pearson, 1996) and in ensuring that food proscriptions are followed (Caplan, 2008;Vallianatos & Raine, 2008). All the three religious communities have the tradition of fasting during specific days of the week and on special occasions during which individuals abstain from certain foods, notably meat, egg and fish, or adapt their diet for one or more of the many religious festivals and holy days observed by all three religions (McGee, 1987).…”

Section: The Influence Of Traditional Indian Medical Discourse On Foomentioning

confidence: 99%

An exploration of dietary practices among South Indians in Brisbane, Australia

Thomas¹

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Consuming Food and Constructing Identities among Arabic and South Asian Immigrant Women

Cited by 122 publications

References 12 publications

Meanings of food, eating and health in Punjabi families living in Vancouver, Canada

Meanings of food, eating and health in Punjabi families living in Vancouver, Canada

Consumption patterns of sweetened food and drink products in a Catholic Middle Eastern Canadian community

An exploration of dietary practices among South Indians in Brisbane, Australia

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