Perceptions on Healthy Eating Impact the Home Food Environment: A Qualitative Exploration of Perceptions of Indigenous Food Gatekeepers in Urban Fiji

Abstract

The home food environment (HFE) can have important direct and indirect impacts on dietary practices. Nutrient transitions in the HFE of Pacific Island countries (PICs) are key contributors of the high rates of adult and childhood overweight and obesity in the region. Pacifica mothers are important sociocultural agents who play critical roles in their HFE through setting eating-appropriateness standards and mitigating the impacts of food availability and accessibility on the HFE. This study used an interpretative phenomenological approach to explore how urban indigenous Fijian mothers perceive healthy eating and how these perceptions impacted the food decisions they made for their families. Mothers in this study held complex, multifaceted perceptions on healthy eating and these perceptions had both positive and negative impacts on the family food choices they made, the strategies they adopted for healthy eating and their perceived motivators for healthy eating. The findings of this study underscore the need for a deeper understanding and analysis of uptake of public health messaging related to healthy and unhealthy eating and the importance of targeted promotion of healthful nutrition in this community. Promoting consumption of traditional and locally grown foods can enhance nutrition and food security and combat nutrition transition in the region.

Exploring Healthy Eating Perceptions, Barriers, and Facilitators among Urban Indigenous Peoples in Saskatchewan

“…These findings are echoed and expanded on by other research, creating a detailed narrative about the dietary preferences and challenges faced by Indigenous populations in various contexts. For example, Buksh et al's study on urban Indigenous Fijian mothers' percep-tions similarly emphasized the importance of traditional cuisine and food preparation methods in regard to healthy eating [30]. This study underscored the complex, multifaceted nature of healthy eating within Indigenous communities, where traditional foods are not only preferred for their freshness and natural qualities but also act as crucial elements in preserving and transmitting culture [30].…”

“…For example, Buksh et al's study on urban Indigenous Fijian mothers' perceptions similarly emphasized the importance of traditional cuisine and food preparation methods in regard to healthy eating [30]. This study underscored the complex, multifaceted nature of healthy eating within Indigenous communities, where traditional foods are not only preferred for their freshness and natural qualities but also act as crucial elements in preserving and transmitting culture [30]. Furthermore, the emphasis on maintaining a Our study reveals that urban Indigenous populations perceive healthy eating as a blend of mainstream nutritional advice-which emphasizes nutrient-rich foods, minimizes unhealthy ingredients, focuses on home-cooked meals, and adheres to dietary guidelines-and a deep respect for traditional foods.…”

Effectiveness of NCD-Related Fiscal Policies: Evidence from the Pacific

“…The finding of low fruit and vegetable consumption despite access, and of high BMI despite reportedly low unhealthy food consumption, also may suggest a lack of diet and nutrition awareness in PIC populations. That is, Pacific Islanders may perceive fruits and vegetables as healthy but have poor understanding of the quantity that have to be consumed [44]. Buksh et al [33] found that Fijians talked about vegetables as being of low social value and not indicative of a good meal, and that consumption of calorie-dense foods was high because they were viewed as more satiating.…”

“…Buksh et al [33] found that Fijians talked about vegetables as being of low social value and not indicative of a good meal, and that consumption of calorie-dense foods was high because they were viewed as more satiating. Similarly, Pacifica mothers described switching from SSBs to equally unhealthy fruit concentrates, as the latter were perceived as being healthier [44]. Additionally, PIC populations may not be aware that the levels of sugar and salt in single servings of SSBs and ultra-processed snacks are beyond daily limits, or what a standard serving is compared to the size of the purchased item (e.g., size of SSB bottle or box of snacks).…”

“…The findings also highlight design flaws in the application of SSB-related fiscal policies that impede their success in the six studied PICs. This study adds to the growing body of literature indicating that diet-related NCD interventions targeting PIC populations need to take into account the cultural norms, values and beliefs around food choices and eating behaviours [10,33,[42][43][44]. The study findings also highlight the importance of including measures of attitudes towards healthy and unhealthy food choices and behaviours as part of any national survey that expects to inform NCD-related interventions and to consider utilizing the revenue from NCD-related fiscal policies for public attitude and behaviour change campaigns [16,22].…”