Dietary Transition Among Arab Muslim Immigrants: A Phenomenologically Informed Study
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This study aimed to investigate the lived experiences of Arab Muslim immigrants in Canada, with a particular focus on how changes in diet healthfulness vary according to the stage of dietary transition in immigrants’ countries of origin. A qualitative study utilizing a phenomenologically informed study was conducted with twenty-four Arab Muslim mothers living in Southern Ontario, Canada. Data were collected through semi-structured individual interviews exploring food availability, meal preparation, and food choices after immigration to Canada. Contextual descriptive information about participants’ backgrounds and dietary experiences was also considered to situate their accounts within the migration and nutrition transition contexts. The interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed using NVivo11 Qualitative Analysis Software. An inductive thematic analysis was used as the analytic strategy within the phenomenologically informed study to identify emergent themes and interpret participants’ lived experiences of dietary change. The participants reported noticeable dietary changes after migration. However, unlike immigrants from lower-income countries, those from high-income countries (e.g., Gulf states) did not report an increase in eating out or fast-food consumption, as these habits were already prevalent before migration. Across groups, some healthy practices were adopted after immigration, including more frequent use of nutrition labels and reduced reliance on frying as a cooking method. The influence of immigration on diet quality appears to depend on the stage of dietary transition in the country of origin. Overall, dietary changes among Arab Muslim immigrants in Canada involved balancing food-related traditions with adaptation to Canadian culture and food practices. The study illustrates the value of a phenomenologically informed qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews, supported by contextual descriptive information, for exploring lived experiences of dietary change in immigrant populations. This methodological insight may inform qualitative research on migration, food practices, and cultural adaptation in similar contexts.
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