Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada

Objective: Following migration, pregnant immigrant women may encounter social, cultural, and economic challenges that negatively affect their food choices and subsequent health outcomes. Culturally appropriate health care is crucial during the perinatal period to ensure the health of immigrant mothe...

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Main Authors: Higginbottom, G.M.A., Vallianatos, Helen, Shankar, Janki, Safipour, Jalal, Davey, Christina
Format: Article
Published: Tayor Francis 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44217/
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author Higginbottom, G.M.A.
Vallianatos, Helen
Shankar, Janki
Safipour, Jalal
Davey, Christina
author_facet Higginbottom, G.M.A.
Vallianatos, Helen
Shankar, Janki
Safipour, Jalal
Davey, Christina
author_sort Higginbottom, G.M.A.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Objective: Following migration, pregnant immigrant women may encounter social, cultural, and economic challenges that negatively affect their food choices and subsequent health outcomes. Culturally appropriate health care is crucial during the perinatal period to ensure the health of immigrant mothers and their children. This project aims to explore and understand how the health beliefs and practices of Chinese immigrant women affect their food choices during the perinatal period. Design: This qualitative study used the methodology of focused ethnography. Women participated in one semi-structured interview, followed by a second photo-assisted, semi-structured interview which incorporated photographs taken by the women themselves. Results: The food choices and health behaviors of immigrant women were influenced by their general health beliefs, cultural knowledge concerning particular types of foods, traditional Chinese medical beliefs, social advice and information, and socio-economic factors. Conclusion: The provision of culturally appropriate health care is crucial during the perinatal period, as it is not only a vulnerable life stage for women and their children but also a sensitive period of interaction with the Canadian health-care system. Understanding these intersecting factors can help to ensure culturally appropriate care and optimized health outcomes for Chinese immigrant women during the perinatal period.
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spelling nottingham-442172020-05-04T18:36:03Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44217/ Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada Higginbottom, G.M.A. Vallianatos, Helen Shankar, Janki Safipour, Jalal Davey, Christina Objective: Following migration, pregnant immigrant women may encounter social, cultural, and economic challenges that negatively affect their food choices and subsequent health outcomes. Culturally appropriate health care is crucial during the perinatal period to ensure the health of immigrant mothers and their children. This project aims to explore and understand how the health beliefs and practices of Chinese immigrant women affect their food choices during the perinatal period. Design: This qualitative study used the methodology of focused ethnography. Women participated in one semi-structured interview, followed by a second photo-assisted, semi-structured interview which incorporated photographs taken by the women themselves. Results: The food choices and health behaviors of immigrant women were influenced by their general health beliefs, cultural knowledge concerning particular types of foods, traditional Chinese medical beliefs, social advice and information, and socio-economic factors. Conclusion: The provision of culturally appropriate health care is crucial during the perinatal period, as it is not only a vulnerable life stage for women and their children but also a sensitive period of interaction with the Canadian health-care system. Understanding these intersecting factors can help to ensure culturally appropriate care and optimized health outcomes for Chinese immigrant women during the perinatal period. Tayor Francis 2017-02-03 Article PeerReviewed Higginbottom, G.M.A., Vallianatos, Helen, Shankar, Janki, Safipour, Jalal and Davey, Christina (2017) Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada. Ethnicity and Health . ISSN 1465-3419 Food practices; Immigrant health; Women’s health; Culturally appropriate; Chinese; Pregnancy; Perinatal; Canada http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13557858.2017.1281384?scroll=top&needAccess=true doi:10.1080/13557858.2017.1281384 doi:10.1080/13557858.2017.1281384
spellingShingle Food practices; Immigrant health; Women’s health; Culturally appropriate; Chinese; Pregnancy; Perinatal; Canada
Higginbottom, G.M.A.
Vallianatos, Helen
Shankar, Janki
Safipour, Jalal
Davey, Christina
Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada
title Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada
title_full Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada
title_fullStr Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada
title_full_unstemmed Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada
title_short Immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of Chinese origin in Canada
title_sort immigrant women’s food choices in pregnancy: perspectives from women of chinese origin in canada
topic Food practices; Immigrant health; Women’s health; Culturally appropriate; Chinese; Pregnancy; Perinatal; Canada
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44217/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44217/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/44217/