Abstract
BackgroundImmigrant women may be regarded as a vulnerable population with respect to access and navigation of maternity care services. They may encounter difficulties when accessing culturally safe and appropriate maternity care, which may be further exacerbated by language difficulties and discriminatory practices or attitudes. The project aimed to understand ethnocultural food and health practices and how these intersect in a particular social context of cultural adaptation and adjustment in order to improve the care-giving capacities of health practitioners working in multicultural perinatal clinics.MethodsThis four-phase study employed a case study design allowing for multiple means of data collection and different units of analysis. Phase one consists of a scoping review of the literature. Phases two and three incorporate pictorial representations of food choices with semi-structured photo-elicited interviews. This study was undertaken at a Prenatal and Obstetric Clinic, in an urban Canadian city. In phase four, the research team will inform the development of culturally appropriate visual tools for health promotion.ResultsFive themes were identified: (a) Perceptions of Health, (b) Social Support (c) Antenatal Foods (d) Postnatal Foods and (e) Role of Health Education. These themes provide practitioners with an understanding of the cultural differences that affect women’s dietary choices during pregnancy. The project identified building collaborations between practitioners and families of pregnant immigrant women to be of utmost importance in supporting healthy pregnancies, along with facilitating social support for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers.ConclusionIn a multicultural society that contemporary Canada is, it is challenging for health practitioners to understand various ethnocultural dietary norms and practices. Practitioners need to be aware of customary practices of the ethnocultural groups that they work with, while simultaneously recognizing the variation within—not everyone follows customary practices, individuals may pick and choose which customary guidelines they follow. What women choose to eat is also influenced by their own experiences, access to particular foods, socioeconomic status, family context, and so on.The pilot study demonstrated the efficacy of the employed research strategies and we subsequently acquired funding for a national study.
Highlights
Immigrant women may be regarded as a vulnerable population with respect to access and navigation of maternity care services
2) Family and social support during pregnancy and delivery: A major challenge for immigrant pregnant women can be the roles played by partners, family members, and social supports during pregnancy, especially since often immigrant women are away from their extended family and communities [22,42,43,44]
3) Healthy pregnancy: While all studies reviewed described the importance of healthy foods and emotional wellbeing to experience a healthy pregnancy, a few participants reported craving harmful substances, such as alcohol, and stated that one must be careful not to drink too much because it is harmful for the baby [45]
Summary
Immigrant women may be regarded as a vulnerable population with respect to access and navigation of maternity care services. They may encounter difficulties when accessing culturally safe and appropriate maternity care, which may be further exacerbated by language difficulties and discriminatory practices or attitudes. Immigrant women may be regarded as vulnerable populations since challenges exist with respect to access and navigation of health services and maternity care services [1]. Difficulties may be encountered in terms of accessing culturally appropriate care in addition to other challenges such as language barriers and discriminatory policy and practices that may impact upon maternal health. Immigrant women are a diverse group that includes economic skilled workers, refugees and asylum seekers, and those without legal status [4]
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