Health promotion in emerging collectivist communities: A study of dietary acculturation in the South Sudanese community in Logan City, Australia.

ISSUE ADDRESSED: Understanding dietary acculturation within collectivist communities is required to develop and tailor appropriate health promotion strategies to prevent diet-related chronic diseases. This research explores the journey of the South Sudanese community living in Logan City, Australia in establishing new norms around food choices and practices over time. METHODS: Three semi-structured group interviews and a final community forum of women (n = 20) from the South Sudanese community were conducted. These explored changes in and influences on dietary practices post-settlement. Sessions were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed using inductive and deductive approaches. Feedback on findings from participants and community members was incorporated. RESULTS: Participants reported dietary acculturation phases, including assimilation, reflection and separation, with a return to traditional foods over time. Factors influencing the transition between phases included; the characteristics of the collectivist community such as shared knowledge, experiences and resources, increased accessibility to traditional foods, and increased food and health literacy as responses to emerging diet-related health issues. CONCLUSIONS: The Logan City South Sudanese community has navigated a new and complex food environment with positive long-term dietary outcomes; however, the initial decline in health due to poor diet on arrival may have been prevented. SO WHAT?: Early intervention and culturally appropriate health promotion strategies that are co-designed and tailored to the characteristics and strengths of newly settled collectivist communities are needed. These should promote the benefits of healthy traditional food habits, while assisting communities to successfully navigate a new food environment.

Maori and Pasifika perceptions of their local maternity care in Logan, Australia.

BACKGROUND: Many childbearing women from Maori and Pasifika backgrounds living in the Logan region of Queensland, Australia experience poor health outcomes. Compared to the general population of childbearing women, Maori and Pasifika women are more likely to experience gestational diabetes mellitus and obesity, are less likely to attend recommended antenatal visits and present for initial antenatal visits at later gestations. AIM: To describe women's awareness of maternity service options, explore the barriers to participating in pregnancy care and identify possible enablers to improved uptake of services. METHOD: Qualitative descriptive. Thirty-three women attended one of six culturally specific focus groups. Latent content analysis was used to analyse the data set. FINDINGS: The key source of information for childbearing women was their families. Poor communication, lack of cultural safety and financial constraints were the major barriers to accessing services. Conversely, enablers were perceived to be continuity of midwifery care that was delivered in the community and was culturally safe. DISCUSSION: Strategies to increase uptake of maternity services and optimise services to better meet the needs of women from Maori and Pasifika backgrounds are needed. These should be partnership-based, engage women and families, incorporate cultural needs and preferences and provide services at accessible community locations. CONCLUSION: These findings may be relevant to other groups of women, such as women from culturally diverse backgrounds and from communities experiencing poorer health outcomes.