Food Decisions Among Cambodian Migrant Mothers in Melbourne, Australia

Abstract

Existing research suggests that children are largely affected by the health and eating behaviours practiced and normalised in their family and home environment. Few studies have considered specifically how migrant parents choose food for their children. This paper examines the food decisionmaking process of Cambodian mothers for their children in Melbourne. Nine Cambodian mothers were individually interviewed in this study. They were asked to discuss their experiences and perceptions of their food decision-making process. Data analysis showed six major themes: Home-food decisions, factors influencing home-food decisions, fast-food and school tuckshop-food decisions, factors influencing fast-food and school tuckshop-food decisions, and settlement experience and acculturation. Overall, the findings suggest that the challenges and aspirations of mothers in relation to providing food for their children were not about meeting demands and negotiating with children on food decisions, instead it was having enough financial capital and time to put healthy food on the table. This paper contributes to the limited literature on the food decision-making process of migrant mothers for their children in the context of socio-economic and settlement challenges.