Acculturation and Nutritional Health of Immigrants in Canada: A Scoping Review

Although recent immigrants to Canada are healthier than Canadian born (i.e., the Healthy Immigrant Effect), they experience a deterioration in their health status which is partly due to transitions in dietary habits. Since pathways to these transitions are under-documented, this scoping review aims...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of immigrant and minority health 2014-02, Vol.16 (1), p.24-34
Main Authors: Sanou, Dia, O’Reilly, Erin, Ngnie-Teta, Ismael, Batal, Malek, Mondain, Nathalie, Andrew, Caroline, Newbold, Bruce K., Bourgeault, Ivy L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acculturation
Behavioral Science Research
Behavioral Sciences
Canada
Canadian Literature
Cardiovascular disease
Chronic illnesses
Citation management software
Comparative Law
Coping
Demography
Diet
Diet - ethnology
Emigrants and Immigrants
Evidence
Exercise
Feeding Behavior - ethnology
Food
Food Preferences - ethnology
Food security
Food Supply
Health
Health Conditions
Health promotion
Health Promotion - methods
Health sciences
Healthy food
Humans
Immigrants
Immigration
International & Foreign Law
Keywords
Medical research
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Minority & ethnic groups
Noncitizens
Nutrition
Nutrition research
Nutritional Status
Obesity
ORIGINAL PAPER
Personal health
Population growth
Priorities
Private International Law
Public Health
Sociology
Studies
Systematic review
Traditional foods
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Description
Summary:Although recent immigrants to Canada are healthier than Canadian born (i.e., the Healthy Immigrant Effect), they experience a deterioration in their health status which is partly due to transitions in dietary habits. Since pathways to these transitions are under-documented, this scoping review aims to identify knowledge gaps and research priorities related to immigrant nutritional health. A total of 49 articles were retrieved and reviewed using electronic databases and a stakeholder consultation was undertaken to consolidate findings. Overall, research tends to confirm the Healthy Immigrant Effect and suggests that significant knowledge gaps in nutritional health persist, thereby creating a barrier to the advancement of health promotion and the achievement of maximum health equity. Five research priorities were identified including (1) risks and benefits associated with traditional/ethnic foods; (2) access and outreach to immigrants; (3) mechanisms and coping strategies for food security; (4) mechanisms of food choice in immigrant families; and (5) health promotion strategies that work for immigrant populations.
ISSN:1557-1912
1557-1920
DOI:10.1007/s10903-013-9823-7