ERIC Number: EJ1418108
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0268-1153
EISSN: EISSN-1465-3648
'We Know What He Likes, Even if He Doesn't Know': How the Children of South Asian Immigrants Characterize and Influence the Diets of Their Parents
Sian Auer; Rushitha Penikalapati; Niyati Parekh; Alexis A Merdjanoff; Ralph J DiClemente; Shahmir H Ali
Health Education Research, v39 n2 p131-142 2024
Foreign-born (first-generation) South Asians face a growing diet-related chronic disease burden. Little is known about whether the adult US-born (second-generation) children of South Asian immigrants can provide unique insights as changemakers in their parents' dietary behaviors. This study aims to assess how second-generation South Asians describe and influence the dietary behaviors of their parents. Between October and November 2020, 32 second-generation South Asians [mean age 22.4 (SD 2.9), 53% female] participated in online interviews centered around factors involved in their (and their parents) eating behaviors. Thematic analysis revealed three types of parental dietary drivers (socioecological factors that impact the dietary choices of parents): goal-oriented (i.e., parents' dietary intentionality), capacity-related (e.g., environmental barriers) and sociocultural (cultural familiarity, religion and traditions). Participants described three major mechanisms of influence: recommending new foods, cooking for parents, and bringing new foods home. These influences primarily occurred in the household and often involved participants leveraging their own nutritional knowledge and preferences to expand dietary diversity and healthier behaviors among their parents. Evidence suggests that second-generation South Asians may act as powerful agents of dietary change within their households and can provide novel insights to help address and overcome sociocultural, linguistic, and other structural barriers to better understanding and intervening in the health of the South Asian community.
Descriptors: Asians, Immigrants, Asian Americans, Eating Habits, Parent Child Relationship, Food, Chronic Illness, Health Behavior, Behavior Change, Goal Orientation, Social Influences, Cultural Influences, Religious Factors, Familiarity, English (Second Language), Barriers
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A