Understanding South Asian Immigrant Women’s Food Choices in the Perinatal Period

G M A Higginbottom

doi:10.23937/2474-1353/1510013

Abstract

Background: Food practices throughout the perinatal period have a profound influence on the health and wellbeing of a mother and her child. Following migration, pregnant immigrant women bring with them culturally-situated beliefs about appropriate eating behaviours, while simultaneously encountering new socio-cultural environments that can negatively affect their food choices. Research is needed to inform and improve the provision of culturally appropriate maternal health and nutritional care. Methods: We employed a focused ethnography, photo-voice methods, and photo-assisted interviews to explore and understand South Asian immigrant women’s food choices and practices during the perinatal period and to investigate the intersectionality of these factors in a social context of cultural adaptation and adjustment. Findings: The key themes constructed from the data included (a) general health beliefs, (b) antenatal and postnatal food choices including Ayurvedic medical beliefs, (c) social advice and socio-economic factors.

Highlights

Food choices and practices throughout the perinatal period have a profound influence on the health and wellbeing of a mother and her child [1,2]
Some were highly educated and well-versed in biomedical models of nutrition while others relied on female kin to guide their food practices
Some participants had low household incomes while others were more financially secure. These variations highlight the challenges health practitioners face in caring for immigrants, in the wide variations affecting food practices within any ethno cultural group

Summary

Introduction

Food choices and practices throughout the perinatal period have a profound influence on the health and wellbeing of a mother and her child [1,2] During this vulnerable time period, immigrant women in Canada often encounter social, cultural, and economic challenges that can lead to underutilization of formal maternal health care and other community services, influencing their eating behaviors and compromise health outcomes for them and their children [3,4]. A Canadian study found higher rates of low birth weight and full-term low birth weight (i.e. small for gestational age or SGA) for infants born to recent immigrant women (for this study, first-time registration with the provincial health insurance program within five years of the birth was used as a proxy for recent immigration) [11] These outcomes are all related to maternal nutrition and food choices, highlighting the crucial importance of understanding immigrant women’s food choices and eating behaviors. Research is needed to inform and improve the provision of culturally appropriate maternal health and nutritional care

Objectives

Results

Conclusion