Abstract
BackgroundEarlier research regarding immigrants has shown that lifestyle and environmental factors are of importance for the risk of developing certain diseases. Food habits are one of these factors. As there is little research concerning immigrants and food habits, the aim of the present paper was to explore food habits operationalised as meal frequency and vegetable intake among a group of older immigrants in Sweden. Specifically, the following questions were explored: changes in food habits when migrating, missing food from the native country, gender differences in food habits and association between food habits and self-rated health and well-being.MethodA total of 131 persons from the health-promoting study “Promoting Aging Migrants’ Capabilities” (PAMC) conducted in Gothenburg, Sweden, 2011–2014, were included in this exploratory secondary analysis of questionnaire data. Participants were 70 years or older, cognitively intact, and living in ordinary housing. They had all migrated to Sweden from Finland or the Western Balkan Region (Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro and Serbia). Descriptive statistics as well as binary logistic regression were used to answer the research questions.ResultsForty-eight percent of the participants in PAMC reported that they had changed their food habits when migrating, and 17% considered that they missed certain foods from their native country. Most of the participants migrated to Sweden more than 20 years ago. There was a significant difference in self-rated health in favour of the male participants (p = 0.02), but food habits, operationalised as meal frequency and vegetable intake, were not associated with self-rated health or life satisfaction.ConclusionMen rated their health as better than women did, but food habits operationalised as meal frequency or vegetable intake, were not associated with self-rated health or life satisfaction. Results from this secondary analysis were affected by methodological shortcomings. Further studies to understand the role of food habits in relation to health in a migration context are desired.Trial registration: NCT01841853, Registered April 29, 2013. Retrospectively registered.
Highlights
In an increasingly globalised world, many people, for different reasons, move from one country to another during their lifetime
Forty-eight percent of the participants in Promoting Aging Migrants’ Capabilities” (PAMC) reported that they had changed their food habits when migrating, and 17% considered that they missed certain foods from their native country
There was a significant difference in self-rated health in favour of the male participants (p = 0.02), but food habits, operationalised as meal frequency and vegetable intake, were not associated with self-rated health or life satisfaction
Summary
In an increasingly globalised world, many people, for different reasons, move from one country to another during their lifetime. By 2060, it is estimated that a quarter of the older population (≥ 80 years) will have a background as an immigrant [1]. There is little research concerning older immigrants’ food habits in Sweden, and the knowledge gap is significant. The adaptation and acculturation (the process where immigrants adopt the dietary practices of their new country [4]) that migration involves have an important impact on behavioural factors such as food habits [5]. As there is little research concerning immigrants and food habits, the aim of the present paper was to explore food habits operationalised as meal frequency and vegetable intake among a group of older immigrants in Sweden. The following questions were explored: changes in food habits when migrating, missing food from the native country, gender differences in food habits and association between food habits and self-rated health and well-being
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