Indigenous perspectives of a culturally tailored dietary intervention: Qualitative findings from the CHEERS study

A nutritious diet is an important protective factor against hypertension and cardiovascular disease. However, there are substantial barriers to healthy eating within American Indian (AI) communities resulting from colonization, the effects of which are still present today in systemic inequities. To address these inequities, many AI communities work toward restoration of access to and knowledge of traditional (i.e. pre-colonial) foods. The Chickasaw Healthy Eating Environments Research Study (CHEERS) was one such approach that provided Chickasaw Nation citizens with heart-healthy foods in line with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, as foods in the DASH diet represent many foods found in traditional AI diets, such as beans and fresh produce. In consultation with Chickasaw Nation community partners, there was interest in exploring lived experiences with traditional food and food practices and any recognized connections with overall health. Therefore, the current study is a qualitative analysis exploring these concepts with a subset of CHEERS participants. Emerging themes suggest participants have rich lived experiences with traditional foods and food practices and recognize many connections between traditional foods and health. These results substantiate the importance of traditional diets on AI health and can be integrated to strengthen culturally tailored nutrition interventions.