Using a Household Food Inventory to Assess the Availability of Traditional Vegetables among Resettled African Refugees

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2016 Jan 18;13(1):137. doi: 10.3390/ijerph13010137.

Abstract

A cross-sectional sequential explanatory mixed methods study was conducted among household food preparers to examine the association between home availability and consumption of traditional vegetables among resettled African refugees living in Queensland, Australia. Home availability of traditional African vegetables was associated with age, having a vegetable garden, employment status, and having a supermarket in the local neighborhood. Food preparers from homes with low vegetable availability were less likely to consume the recommended number of vegetable servings. Barriers faced in the food environment included language, lack of availability of traditional vegetables and lack of transport. All of these aspects contributed to the study findings that both individual and food environment characteristics may play a role in access to and availability of food and vegetable consumption of resettled refugees. Consumption of traditional foods among the resettled refugees continues post resettlement.

Keywords: African traditional vegetables; household food inventory; migration; resettled African refugees; vegetable availability; vegetable intake.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Black People / statistics & numerical data*
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Family Characteristics
  • Female
  • Food Supply / statistics & numerical data*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Queensland
  • Refugees / statistics & numerical data*
  • Residence Characteristics / statistics & numerical data*
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Vegetables*