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Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students

PURPOSE: To investigate potential dietary changes among Southeast Asian international students living in self-catered accommodation while studying abroad and to consider implications for their health. DESIGN: Participants were interviewed about their food preferences and behaviours in their home cou...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales: Leu, Jodie H., Banwell, Cathy
Formato: Online Artículo Texto
Lenguaje:English
Publicado: Canadian Center of Science and Education 2016
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4803955/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26493434
http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v8n3p101
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author Leu, Jodie H.
Banwell, Cathy
author_facet Leu, Jodie H.
Banwell, Cathy
author_sort Leu, Jodie H.
collection PubMed
description PURPOSE: To investigate potential dietary changes among Southeast Asian international students living in self-catered accommodation while studying abroad and to consider implications for their health. DESIGN: Participants were interviewed about their food preferences and behaviours in their home countries and during their undergraduate studies at the Australian National University. SETTING: A university in Australia PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were full-time undergraduate students over 18 years of age from Southeast Asian countries studying at the Australian National University for at least one year, and living at self-catered accommodation. METHODS: Thirty-one, in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews concerning usual diets were collected over a three month period in 2013. Interviews were coded and analysed with the aid of a computer program Atlas.ti. RESULTS: The macro-nutrient content of Southeast Asian international students’ diets did not change a great deal when they moved to Australia. Most students replaced some preferred foods on occasions because they either could not afford them, they were not available or they lacked time to prepare them. These dietary changes were not necessarily reflected in changes to students’ weights and most students considered that they were as healthy as when they lived at home. CONCLUSION: As students’ adapt to a new food environment they reflexively manage potential health risks. Strong student networks and an accessible and healthy food environment would support students to make healthy dietary choices although additional information about healthy diets could facilitate this further.
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spelling pubmed-48039552016-04-21 Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students Leu, Jodie H. Banwell, Cathy Glob J Health Sci Articles PURPOSE: To investigate potential dietary changes among Southeast Asian international students living in self-catered accommodation while studying abroad and to consider implications for their health. DESIGN: Participants were interviewed about their food preferences and behaviours in their home countries and during their undergraduate studies at the Australian National University. SETTING: A university in Australia PARTICIPANTS: Study participants were full-time undergraduate students over 18 years of age from Southeast Asian countries studying at the Australian National University for at least one year, and living at self-catered accommodation. METHODS: Thirty-one, in-depth, face-to-face qualitative interviews concerning usual diets were collected over a three month period in 2013. Interviews were coded and analysed with the aid of a computer program Atlas.ti. RESULTS: The macro-nutrient content of Southeast Asian international students’ diets did not change a great deal when they moved to Australia. Most students replaced some preferred foods on occasions because they either could not afford them, they were not available or they lacked time to prepare them. These dietary changes were not necessarily reflected in changes to students’ weights and most students considered that they were as healthy as when they lived at home. CONCLUSION: As students’ adapt to a new food environment they reflexively manage potential health risks. Strong student networks and an accessible and healthy food environment would support students to make healthy dietary choices although additional information about healthy diets could facilitate this further. Canadian Center of Science and Education 2016-03 2015-07-13 /pmc/articles/PMC4803955/ /pubmed/26493434 http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v8n3p101 Text en Copyright: © Canadian Center of Science and Education http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ This is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).
spellingShingle Articles
Leu, Jodie H.
Banwell, Cathy
Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students
title Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students
title_full Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students
title_fullStr Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students
title_full_unstemmed Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students
title_short Looking for a Taste of Home: A Qualitative Study of the Health Implications of the Diets of Australian - Based Southeast Asian Students
title_sort looking for a taste of home: a qualitative study of the health implications of the diets of australian - based southeast asian students
topic Articles
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4803955/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26493434
http://dx.doi.org/10.5539/gjhs.v8n3p101
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