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Elshahat S, Moffat T, Iqbal BK, Newbold KB, Gagnon O, Alkhawaldeh H, Morshed M, Madani K, Gehani M, Zhu T, Garabedian L, Belahlou Y, Curtay SAH, Zhu IHC, Chan C, Duzenli D, Rajapaksege N, Shafiq B, Zaidi A. 'I thought we would be nourished here': The complexity of nutrition/food and its relationship to mental health among Arab immigrants/refugees in Canada: The CAN-HEAL study. Appetite 2024; 195:107226. [PMID: 38266714 DOI: 10.1016/j.appet.2024.107226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 12/12/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
Nutritional psychiatry suggests that diet quality impacts one's mental health (MH). The relationship between food/nutrition and MH may be particularly salient for immigrants/refugees who often experience high risk for household food insecurity and MH challenges. An innovative collaborative community-based participatory research and integrated knowledge translation approach was adopted to explore food/nutrition needs as they relate to MH among Arab immigrants/refuges (AIR) in Ontario, Canada. The goal was to co-identify areas that require social change and co-produce applicable knowledge for service improvement. The CAN-HEAL study used a multi-methodological approach, employing qualitative interviews, photovoice and a questionnaire survey. A combination of three sampling approaches (convenience, snowball and purposive) was used to recruit sixty socio-demographically-diverse adult AIR participants. The research was guided by an integrated bio-psycho-socio-cultural framework. Participants reported various socio-economic and structural barriers to nutritious eating. Food quality/safety was a significant concern and source of anxiety among AIR; food mislabeling, the widespread presence of genetically/chemically modified foods and expired/rotten food products were associated with negative MH. Participants experienced an alarming prevalence of food insecurity (65%), which was associated with negative MH. Intersections among age, gender, religion, socio-economic status, parenthood, disability, and place of residence played a considerable role in how nutrition, food security, and dietary intake impacted AIR's MH and caused substantial disparities within the AIR community. The food/nutrition-MH relationship among AIR is multi-faceted, and various psycho-socio-cultural pathways/processes were found to shape MH. Intersectoral collaboration between health and non-health sectors is needed to implement a co-proposed socio-political and community-level action plan to achieve nutrition and health equity for AIR and other similar marginalized groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Elshahat
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L9, Canada.
| | - Tina Moffat
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L9, Canada
| | - Basit Kareem Iqbal
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L9, Canada
| | - K Bruce Newbold
- School of Earth, Environment & Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Olivia Gagnon
- Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Science, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Haneen Alkhawaldeh
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5, Canada
| | - Mahira Morshed
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Keon Madani
- Integrated Biomedical Engineering and Health Sciences Faculty, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Mafaz Gehani
- Department of Psychological and Health Sciences, University of Toronto, Scarborough, ON, M1C 1A4, Canada
| | - Tony Zhu
- Department of Criminology & Sociolegal Studies, Faculty of Arts and Science, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, M5S 1A1, Canada
| | - Lucy Garabedian
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Faculty of Arts and Science, Queen's University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Yasmine Belahlou
- Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Sarah A H Curtay
- School of Nursing, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | - Irene Hui-Chen Zhu
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Brescia University College, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Charlotte Chan
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Brescia University College, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Deniz Duzenli
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
| | | | - Bisma Shafiq
- School of Food and Nutritional Sciences, University of Western Ontario, Brescia University College, London, ON, N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Amna Zaidi
- Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4L8, Canada
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