Exploring the diet and lifestyle changes contributing to weight gain among Australian West African women following migration: A qualitative study

Abstract

Gaining insight into the underlying reasons that West African immigrants to Australia become obese could contribute to assisting health professionals design culturally appropriate interventions and health education programmes to support new arrivals.

Access to health services among culturally and linguistically diverse populations in the Australian universal health care system: issues and challenges

“…In the early years of migration, they have good physical health; over time, migrants were exposed to risk factors of several NCDs (often referred to as the Exhaust Migrant Effect) due to access to a wide variety of food (e.g., takeaway food) and increased consumption of high energy take way foods and sedentary lifestyles that resulted in weight gain and obesity [ 57 ]. A higher proportion of Middle Eastern and South Asian children had consumed nutrient-poor snacks, transformed into family diets and physical activities, and sugar-sweetened beverages as takeaway foods [ 15 , 40 ].…”

Systematic review: Perceptions of type 2 diabetes of people of African descent living in high‐income countries

“…Obesity was not identified by some as a factor in diabetes susceptibility (Baptiste‐Roberts et al, 2006; Issaka et al, 2016; Okop et al, 2016; Skelly et al, 2006). Some considered obesity as evidence of good health and a mark of affluence (Babatunde‐Sowole et al, 2018; Issaka et al, 2016; Okop et al, 2016). For some, obesity signified happiness and no threat to health (Okop et al, 2016) and was thought to be ideal for women (Baptiste‐Roberts et al, 2006; Liburd et al, 1999).…”

“…After full-text review, 26 studies met inclusion criteria. Of the included studies, 17 were qualitative (Gore, 1999;Liburd et al, 1999;Skelly et al, 2006;Wenzel et al, 2006;Brown et al, 2007;Peek et al, 2010;Wallin & Ahlström, 2010;Yeoh & Furler, 2011;Breland et al, 2013;Balls-Berry et al, 2015;Bockwoldt et al, 2016;Cooper & Lemonde, 2016;Issaka et al, 2016;Okop et al, 2016;Moise et al, 2017;Babatunde-Sowole et al, 2018;Cameron et al, 2018), eight were cross-sectional survey/questionnaire (Wallhagen & Lacson, 1999;Stover et al, 2001;Ford et al, 2002;Mann et al, 2009;Abubakari et al, 2011;Calvin et al, 2011;Hyman et al, 2014;Foster et al, 2016) Sixteen of the studies were conducted in the US, three in Australia, two each in Canada and the UK and there was one study each from Sweden, South Africa and the West Indies. The sample size ranged from 10 to 359 with a total of 1804 participants comprising both diabetics and non-diabetics.…”

“…relationship between diabetes-specific knowledge, illness perceptions and self-management behaviours and the relationship between self-management behaviours and metabolic controlBabatunde-Sowole et al, 2018 To explore the diet and lifestyle changes contributing to weight gain amongAustralian West African women following migration Balls-Berry et al, 2015 To assess knowledge, attitude and behaviour about diabetes prevention programme and development Baptiste-Roberts et al, 2006 To assess perception of body image Bockwoldt et al, 2016 To describe the lived experiences of African Americans adapting to prescribed medications for type 2 diabetes and to identify factors that influenced adaptation Breland et al, 2013 To assess effects of race and ethnicity on eating and to explore food types, preparation, sources and meal communication with providers Brown et al, 2007 To understand the impact of health beliefs, diabetes associated risks and expectation of treatments on diabetes management Calvin et al, 2011 To describe perceived risk for diabetes complications Cameron et al, 2018 To understand perception of Health, Body image and attractiveness Cooper and Lemonde, 2016 To explore health beliefs held by adult African immigrants about diabetes and their practices in preventing it Ford et al, 2002 To assess perception of diabetes of African Americans and White Americans and to examine psychometric properties of instruments used to measure perception Foster et al, 2016 To assess knowledge, beliefs and practices, health-seeking behaviours and self-management and attitude of patients with diabetic retinopathy Gore et al 1999 To explore perception of ideal body weight Hyman et al, 2014 To explore self-management practices, use of diabetes information and heath service for diabetes care Issaka et al, 2016 To explore perception of type 2 diabetes Liburd et al, 1999 To explore perception of body size and shape of black women Mann et al, 2009 To identify suboptimal diabetes knowledge and beliefs, medication and monitoring that may be hindrances to effective self-management Moise et al, 2017 To generate culturally informed insight into diabetes knowledge, management and prevention Okop et al, 2016 To explore perception of body size, obesity risk and willingness to lose weight Peek et al, 2010 To explore perception of the influence of race on shared decision-making (SDM) Skelly et al, 2006 To understand the views and prevention of diabetes Stover et al, 2001 To explore health perception and their relationship to symptoms Wallhagen and Lacson, 1999 To explore perception of sense of control of type 2 diabetes Wallin and Ahlström, 2010 To investigate experience of diabetes diagnosis and to investigate how they describe their health beliefs Wenzel et al, 2006 To explore the experience of being diagnosed with diabetes Yeoh and Furler, 2011…”

Resilience of African migrant women: Implications for mental health practice

“…They were invited to participate in the study via fliers and posters placed at migrant resource centres and African community groups and associations. Snowball sampling was also used wherein West African women who had already participated were asked to share the study information with other women who met the study criteria as they are a hard-to-reach, close-knit community ( Babatunde-Sowole et al, 2018;Bernard and Bernard, 2013). Just one woman withdrew prior to the interview citing a busy schedule.…”