Perceptions of Dietary Habits and Risk for Type 2 Diabetes among Congolese Immigrants
Daudet Ilunga Tshiswaka1, Kelechi D Ibe-Lamberts2, Dyna Miandabu Mulunda3
1Department of Public Health, University of West Florida, 11000 University Parkway, Pensacola, FL 32514, USA.
Objective:
To explore the perceptions of dietary habits and type 2 diabetes risk among Congolese immigrants living in the US.
Methods:
Data were collected from 20 in-depth interviews and photo-elicitation techniques conducted with Congolese immigrants. The PEN-3 cultural model was used as a guide to analyze the data collected.
Results:
Participants identified positive, existential, and negative perceptions, enablers, and nurturers associated with dietary habits and type 2 diabetes risk. Participants also acknowledged intrinsic cultural ways of understanding and interpreting the interaction between dietary habits and type 2 diabetes risk among the Congolese people which may influence their health-seeking practices.
Conclusions:
The findings underscore the importance of culture and how sociocultural factors may play a role with designing culturally appropriate interventions aimed at addressing the risk for type 2 diabetes among Congolese immigrants in the US.
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