ABSTRACT

Background

Black immigrant women experience high risks for maternal complications, and some of these complications are related to dietary outcomes. This study aimed to explore Sub-Saharan African (SSA) pregnant women's dietary patterns and dietary transition post-immigration and during pregnancy.

Methods

We used a narrative design with a Photovoice approach and collected data through semi-structured interviews, digital food diaries, and Photovoice interviews. We recruited eleven participants (n = 11) through community gatekeepers and analyzed data using a constructivist grounded theory approach with constant comparative methods.

Results

The changes in food processes and participants’ reactions to these changes generated a dietary transition model with three stages: perplexity, deliberation, and acceptance. (1) Perplexity was caused by different food characteristics such as taste, texture, and options. (2) Participants described deliberation as a process of deciding the kind of foods/cooking styles that would be an integral part of their regular diet. All participants opted for what they referred to as the ‘African diet.’ (3) Acceptance was characterized by participants’ resolve to figure out how to make their chosen types of food and eating habits ‘work’ for themselves and their families.

Conclusion

This study emphasizes the importance of having a sense of self-efficacy, a positive attitude, and community support in enabling migrant women to navigate dietary transition until they are satisfied with newly constructed eating habits. This determination, along with community support and persistent connection to their home culture, might help immigrants resist dietary acculturation and maintain healthy cultural eating habits, which is particularly important during pregnancy, given the impact of diet on maternal and neonatal outcomes. These findings underscore the need for collaborating with migrants from SSA to develop culturally tailored dietary interventions focused on each stage of dietary transition. Future studies should include focus group discussions to leverage women's shared experiences and create knowledge/information exchange opportunities.

中文翻译：

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撒哈拉以南非洲妇女移民后和怀孕期间的饮食转变

摘要

背景

黑人移民妇女发生孕产妇并发症的风险很高，其中一些并发症与饮食结果有关。本研究旨在探讨撒哈拉以南非洲 (SSA) 孕妇的饮食模式以及移民后和怀孕期间的饮食转变。

方法

我们使用带有 Photovoice 方法的叙事设计，并通过半结构化访谈、数字食物日记和 Photovoice 访谈收集数据。我们通过社区看门人招募了 11 名参与者 ( n  = 11)，并使用基于建构主义的理论方法和不断比较的方法分析数据。

结果

食物过程的变化和参与者对这些变化的反应产生了一个具有三个阶段的饮食过渡模型：困惑、深思熟虑和接受。(1) 困惑是由不同的食物特性引起的，例如味道、质地和选择。(2) 参与者将审议描述为决定食物种类/烹饪方式的过程，这将成为他们日常饮食中不可或缺的一部分。所有参与者都选择了他们所谓的“非洲饮食”。(3) 接受的特点是参与者决心弄清楚如何使他们选择的食物类型和饮食习惯为他们自己和他们的家人“工作”。

结论

本研究强调了自我效能感、积极的态度和社区支持的重要性，以使流动妇女能够适应饮食转变，直到她们对新建立的饮食习惯感到满意。鉴于饮食对孕产妇和新生儿结局的影响，这种决心，加上社区支持和与其家乡文化的持久联系，可能有助于移民抵制饮食文化适应并保持健康的文化饮食习惯，这在怀孕期间尤为重要。这些发现强调了与来自 SSA 的移民合作开发针对饮食转变的每个阶段的文化量身定制的饮食干预措施的必要性。未来的研究应包括焦点小组讨论，以利用女性的