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Chuquitarco-Morales A, Rivera-Navarro J, La Parra-Casado D, Fuster M, Franco M. Madrid immigrants' perceptions of urban food environments and their dietary behaviours. Appetite 2024; 199:107390. [PMID: 38703792 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2024] [Revised: 04/17/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/06/2024]
Abstract
Large cities are home to several groups of immigrants who undergo important changes in their environmental conditions and lifestyles that significantly modify their risk of chronic diseases. Quantitative evidence indicates that both their health and diet worsen over time; much less is known about the qualitative mechanisms that cause these changes. The aim of this article is to understand how immigrants in the city of Madrid perceive the relation between the urban food environment and dietary behaviour. Based on a Social Ecological Framework, we conducted a secondary qualitative analysis derived from data from 41 immigrant residents, collected in eight focus groups (FGs), conducted in two neighbourhoods in the city of Madrid. We identified the following main categories: 1) Transnational identity and dietary behaviour in the neighbourhood; 2) Transitions in dietary behaviour; and 3) Societal/structural factors determining dietary behaviour in the neighbourhood. The participants in the FGs mentioned that they try to maintain traditional dietary customs and perceive that the taste of their typical dishes is better than those of Spanish dishes. Contradictorily, some participants considered their traditional dietary patterns to be less healthy than Mediterranean ones (consuming olive oil, vegetables, fish). Some participants acknowledged having adapted to the latter voluntarily or through dietary negotiations with their children. Immigrant families with two working parents have difficulties cooking homemade food and resort to less healthy options, such as eating fast food or ready-made meals. Due to their low purchasing power, they buy both ethnic products and other products, as well as considering the prices and offers in supermarkets. Our study highlights several structural mechanisms connecting the physical and social urban food environment with dietary behaviours among immigrant residents of a large city.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jesús Rivera-Navarro
- Sociology and Communication Department, Social Sciences Faculty, Universidad de Salamanca, Salamanca, Spain
| | - Daniel La Parra-Casado
- Department of Sociology 2, Universidad de Alicante, San Vicente del Raspeig, Alicante, Spain.
| | - Melissa Fuster
- Department of Social, Behavioral, and Population Sciences, Tulane University, School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Manuel Franco
- Surgery and Medical and Social Sciences Department, Public Health and Epidemiology Research Group, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, United States
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LeCroy MN, Suss R, Russo RG, Sifuentes S, Beasley JM, Barajas-Gonzalez RG, Chebli P, Foster V, Kwon SC, Trinh-Shevrin C, Yi SS. Looking Across and Within: Immigration as a Unifying Structural Factor Impacting Cardiometabolic Health and Diet. Ethn Dis 2023; 33:130-139. [PMID: 38845741 PMCID: PMC11145733 DOI: 10.18865/ed.33.2-3.130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Immigration has been identified as an important social determinant of health (SDH), embodying structures and policies that reinforce positions of poverty, stress, and limited social and economic mobility. In the public health literature with regard to diet, immigration is often characterized as an individual-level process (dietary acculturation) and is largely examined in one racial/ethnic subgroup at a time. For this narrative review, we aim to broaden the research discussion by describing SDH common to the immigrant experience and that may serve as barriers to healthy diets. Methods A narrative review of peer-reviewed quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods studies on cardiometabolic health disparities, diet, and immigration was conducted. Results Cardiometabolic disease disparities were frequently described by racial/ethnic subgroups instead of country of origin. While cardiovascular disease and obesity risk differed by country of origin, diabetes prevalence was typically higher for immigrant groups vs United States (US)-born individuals. Common barriers to achieving a healthy diet were food insecurity; lack of familiarity with US food procurement practices, food preparation methods, and dietary guidelines; lack of familiarity and distrust of US food processing and storage methods; alternative priorities for food purchasing (eg, freshness, cultural relevance); logistical obstacles (eg, transportation); stress; and ethnic identity maintenance. Conclusions To improve the health of immigrant populations, understanding similarities in cardiometabolic health disparities, diet, and barriers to health across immigrant communities-traversing racial/ethnic subgroups-may serve as a useful framework. This framework can guide research, policy, and public health practices to be more cohesive, generalizable, and meaningfully inclusive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madison N. LeCroy
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Rachel Suss
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Rienna G. Russo
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Sonia Sifuentes
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Jeannette M. Beasley
- Department of Nutrition and Food Studies, NYU Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Health, New York, NY
- Department of Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - R. Gabriela Barajas-Gonzalez
- Department of Population Health, Center for Early Childhood Health and Development, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Perla Chebli
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Victoria Foster
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Simona C. Kwon
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Chau Trinh-Shevrin
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
| | - Stella S. Yi
- Department of Population Health, Section for Health Equity, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY
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How providing a low-cost water filter pitcher led Latino parents to reduce sugar-sweetened beverages and increase their water intake: explanatory qualitative results from the Water Up!@Home intervention trial. Public Health Nutr 2022; 25:3195-3203. [PMID: 35983682 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980022001744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study sought to explain results of the Water Up!@Home randomized controlled trial where low-income parents were randomized to receive an educational intervention +a low-cost water filter pitcher or only the filter. Parents in both groups had reported statistically significant reductions in SSB and increases in water intake post-intervention. DESIGN Qualitative explanatory in-depth interviews analyzed thematically and deductively. SETTING Washington DC metropolitan area, US. PARTICIPANTS Low-income Latino parents of infants/toddlers who had participated in the Water UP! @Home randomized controlled trial. RESULTS The filter stimulated water consumption in both groups by: 1) increasing parents' perception of water safety, 2) acting as a cue to action to drink water, 3) improving the flavor of water (which was linked to perceptions of safety), and 4) increasing the perception that this option was more economical than purchasing bottled water. Safe and palatable drinking water was more accessible and freely available in their homes; participants felt they did not need to ration their water consumption as before. Only intervention participants were able to describe a reduction in SSB intake and described strategies, skills, and knowledge gained to reduce SSB intake. Among the comparison group, there was no thematic consensus about changes in SSB or any strategies or skills to reduce SSB intake. CONCLUSIONS A low-cost water filter facilitated water consumption, which actively (or passively for comparison group) displaced SSB consumption. The findings have implications for understanding and addressing the role of water security on SSB consumption.
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Sylvetsky AC, Hoang ST, Visek AJ, Halberg SE, Smith M, Salahmand Y, Blake EF, Jin Y, Colón-Ramos U, Lora KR. Beverage Characteristics Perceived as Healthy among Hispanic and African-American Parents of Young Children. J Acad Nutr Diet 2022; 122:1158-1167. [PMID: 35026465 PMCID: PMC9124677 DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2022.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2021] [Revised: 12/17/2021] [Accepted: 01/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND It is recommended that children younger than 6 years of age avoid sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs); yet, 25% of toddlers and 45% of preschool-aged children consume SSBs on a given day, with the highest intakes reported among Hispanic and African-American children. OBJECTIVE To investigate characteristics that predominantly low-income Hispanic and African-American parents perceive to reflect a healthy beverage, and to examine the influence of these characteristics on parents' perceptions of the beverages they provide to their young children. DESIGN This study consisted of two activities: a qualitative activity where parents (n = 102) were asked to report what characteristics they perceive to reflect a healthy beverage and a quantitative activity where parents (n = 96) indicated the extent to which each of the reported characteristics influence parents' perceptions of the beverages they provide to their young children. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING Hispanic and African-American parents of young children (younger than 6 years of age) were recruited from the District of Columbia metropolitan area. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Beverage characteristics and influence scores. STATISICAL ANALYSES PERFORMED Characteristics were categorized by the research team based on their perceived meaning. Perceived influence scores for each characteristic and category were compared across Hispanic and African-American parents using nonparametric, Mann-Whitney U tests, and false discovery rate adjustment was used to correct for multiple testing. RESULTS The characteristics perceived to be most influential included those pertaining to perceived beverage sugar and sweetener content, being natural, and containing certain nutrients. Characteristics such as being homemade, made with fruit, and containing vitamins were reported to be more influential among Hispanic parents compared with African-American parents. CONCLUSIONS Findings emphasize the need to address misperceptions about the healthfulness of beverages among Hispanic and African-American parents. Differences in the perceived influence of specific beverage characteristics across Hispanic and African-American parents underscore the importance of developing culturally relevant interventions to improve parents' beverage selection for their children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allison C Sylvetsky
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC.
| | - Son T Hoang
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Amanda J Visek
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Sabrina E Halberg
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Marjanna Smith
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Yasaman Salahmand
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Emily F Blake
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Yichen Jin
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Uriyoán Colón-Ramos
- Department of Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
| | - Karina R Lora
- Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC
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Horlyck-Romanovsky MF, Huang TTK, Ahmed R, Echeverria SE, Wyka K, Leung MM, Sumner AE, Fuster M. Intergenerational differences in dietary acculturation among Ghanaian immigrants living in New York City: a qualitative study. J Nutr Sci 2021; 10:e80. [PMID: 34616551 PMCID: PMC8477345 DOI: 10.1017/jns.2021.69] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 08/05/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Dietary acculturation may explain the increasing risk of diet-related diseases among African immigrants in the United States (US). We interviewed twenty-five Ghanaian immigrants (Youth n 13, Age (Mean ± sd) 20 y ± 5⋅4, Parents (n 6) and Grandparents (n 6) age 58⋅7 ± 9⋅7) living in New York City (NYC) to (a) understand how cultural practices and the acculturation experience influence dietary patterns of Ghanaian immigrants and (b) identify intergenerational differences in dietary acculturation among Ghanaian youth, parents and grandparents. Dietary acculturation began in Ghana, continued in NYC and was perceived as a positive process. At the interpersonal level, parents encouraged youth to embrace school lunch and foods outside the home. In contrast, parents preferred home-cooked Ghanaian meals, yet busy schedules limited time for cooking and shared meals. At the community level, greater purchasing power in NYC led to increased calories, and youth welcomed individual choice as schools and fast food exposed them to new foods. Global forces facilitated nutrition transition in Ghana as fast and packaged foods became omnipresent in urban settings. Adults sought to maintain cultural foodways while facilitating dietary acculturation for youth. Both traditional and global diets evolved as youth and adults adopted new food and healthy social norms in the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margrethe F. Horlyck-Romanovsky
- Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Center for Systems and Community Design, New York, NY, USA
| | - Terry T.-K. Huang
- Department of Health Policy and Management, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA; Center for Systems and Community Design, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Sandra E. Echeverria
- Department of Public Health Education, The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, Greensboro, NC, USA
| | - Katarzyna Wyka
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - May May Leung
- Nutrition Program, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Anne E. Sumner
- Section on Ethnicity and Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, and the National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Melissa Fuster
- Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, New Orleans, LA, USA; Center for Systems and Community Design, New York, NY, USA
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Food environment interactions after migration: a scoping review on low- and middle-income country immigrants in high-income countries. Public Health Nutr 2021; 25:136-158. [PMID: 34509180 PMCID: PMC8825972 DOI: 10.1017/s1368980021003943] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/03/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To map and characterise the interactions between the food environment and immigrant populations from low- and middle-income countries living in high-income countries. Design: A scoping review was carried out following the framework outlined by Arksey and O’Malley, as well as Levac et al. Peer-reviewed studies in English published between 2007 and 2021 were included. Two reviewers screened and selected the papers according to predefined inclusion criteria and reporting of results follows the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. A ‘Best fit’ framework synthesis was carried out using the Analysis Grid for Environments Linked to Obesity (ANGELO) framework. Setting: High-income countries. Participants: Immigrants from low- and middle-income countries. Results: A total of sixty-eight articles were included, primarily based in the USA, as well as Canada, Australia and Europe, with immigrants originating from five regions of the globe. The analysis identified three overarching themes that interconnected different aspects of the food environment in addition to the four themes of the ANGELO framework. They demonstrate that in valuing fresh, healthy and traditional foods, immigrants were compelled to surpass barriers in order to acquire these, though children’s demands, low incomes, time scarcity and mobility influenced the healthiness of the foods acquired. Conclusion: This study brought together evidence on interactions between immigrant populations and the food environment. Immigrants attempted to access fresh, traditional, healthier food, though they faced structural and family-level barriers that impacted the healthiness of the food they acquired. Understanding the food environment and interactions therein is key to proposing interventions and policies that can potentially impact the most vulnerable.
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Horlyck-Romanovsky MF, Haley SJ. Increasing obesity odds among foreign-born New Yorkers are not explained by eating out, age at arrival, or duration of residence: results from NYC HANES 2004 and 2013/2014. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1453. [PMID: 34304740 PMCID: PMC8311945 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11351-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Among the foreign-born in the United States (US) dietary acculturation and eating out may increase obesity risk. Using the 2004 (N = 1952) and 2013/14 (N = 1481) New York City (NYC) Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys, we compared for the foreign-born and US-born by survey year: 1) odds of obesity; 2) association between eating out and obesity and 3) effect of age at arrival and duration of residence among the foreign-born. Weighted logistic regression estimated odds of obesity. RESULTS Compared to the US-born, the foreign-born had lower odds of obesity in 2004, (aOR = 0.51 (95%CI 0.37-0.70), P = <.0001). Odds were no different in 2013/14. In 2013/14 the foreign-born who ate out had lower obesity odds (aOR = 0.49 (95%CI 0.31-0.77), P = 0.0022). The foreign-born living in the US≥10 years had greater odds of obesity in 2004 (aOR = 1.73 (95%CI 1.08-2.79), P = 0.0233) but not in 2013/14. CONCLUSIONS Eating out does not explain increasing obesity odds among the foreign-born.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margrethe F Horlyck-Romanovsky
- Department of Health and Nutrition Sciences, Brooklyn College, City University of New York, 2900 Bedford Avenue, Brooklyn, NY, USA.
| | - Sean J Haley
- Department of Health Policy and Management, CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, 55 West 125th Street, New York, NY, USA
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Turner C, Kalamatianou S, Drewnowski A, Kulkarni B, Kinra S, Kadiyala S. Food Environment Research in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: A Systematic Scoping Review. Adv Nutr 2020; 11:387-397. [PMID: 31079142 PMCID: PMC7442349 DOI: 10.1093/advances/nmz031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Revised: 02/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/07/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Food environment research is increasingly gaining prominence in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, in the absence of a systematic review of the literature, little is known about the emerging body of evidence from these settings. This systematic scoping review aims to address this gap. A systematic search of 6 databases was conducted in December 2017 and retrieved 920 records. In total, 70 peer-reviewed articles met the eligibility criteria and were included. Collectively, articles spanned 22 LMICs, including upper-middle-income countries (n = 49, 70%) and lower-middle-income countries (n = 18, 26%). No articles included low-income countries. Articles featured quantitative (n = 45, 64%), qualitative (n = 17, 24%), and mixed-method designs (n = 11, 8%). Studies analyzed the food environment at national, community, school, and household scales. Twenty-three articles (55%) assessed associations between food environment exposures and outcomes of interest, including diets (n = 14), nutrition status (n = 13), and health (n = 1). Food availability was associated with dietary outcomes at the community and school scales across multiple LMICs, although associations varied by vendor type. Evidence regarding associations between the food environment and nutrition and health outcomes was inconclusive. The paucity of evidence from high-quality studies is a severe limitation, highlighting the critical need for improved study designs and standardized methods and metrics. Future food environment research must address low-income and lower-middle-income countries, and include the full spectrum of dietary, nutrition, and health outcomes. Improving the quality of food environment research will be critical to the design of feasible, appropriate, and effective interventions to improve public health nutrition in LMICs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher Turner
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Population Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Sofia Kalamatianou
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Population Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Adam Drewnowski
- University of Washington, Department of Nutritional Sciences, Center for Public Health Nutrition, Seattle, WA
| | - Bharati Kulkarni
- National Institute of Nutrition, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, Telangana, India
| | - Sanjay Kinra
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Population Health, London, United Kingdom
| | - Suneetha Kadiyala
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, Department of Population Health, London, United Kingdom
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