Nutritional Beliefs and Practices of Arabic-Speaking Middle Eastern Mothers Living in the United States.

Abstract

Culture and acculturation influence nutritional beliefs. Little is known about the Arabic population in the United States. In this study, Arabic-speaking Middle Eastern mothers' perceptions of motherhood and childhood nutritional beliefs and practices are explored. Semi-structured interviews with 12 mothers from Arabic-speaking Middle Eastern countries. Food and family are central to everyday life. Mothers worked hard to maintain traditional nutritional practices with their school-age children. Findings can enhance school nurses' ability to collaborate with mothers in nutritional education and address any issues in the classroom.