A Case Study of 1.5 Generation Chinese American Women's Perspectives of Nutrition Education
Date
2013-08
Authors
Karczmarczyk, Diana F.
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Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the perspectives of 1.5 generation (defined as immigrants who enter the United States between the ages of 12 and 15) Chinese American women regarding nutrition education. Although much has been written about the importance of delivering culturally competent nutrition education, insufficient attention has been given to the needs and experiences of this generation of Chinese American women. In addition, there is little disaggregated research on the unique needs and perceptions of Asian American subgroups, including those of Chinese Americans, the largest Asian community in the US. This research is focused specifically on 1.5 Chinese American women to provide an in-depth understanding of their perspectives about nutrition. The qualitative case-study research design uses a Three Tier Structure Approach, designed by the researcher and adapted from the Mears' (2009) Gateway Approach, entailing an open-ended written narrative followed by two interviews organized within a Three Tier Structure Approach. In Tier One, in response to a question on beliefs about nutrition in the US, five participants identified and shared a critical incident through an open-ended written narrative. Of those five participants, three then completed Tier Two and Tier Three, which entailed semi-structured face-to-face interviews to further probe their individual perspectives about their experiences with nutrition education, sources of knowledge, messages in their community, eating and food preparation behaviors, and their perspectives on and recommendations for delivery of nutrition education. Although the participants in this study were demographically similar in terms of current age, age at immigration, and place of birth, their experiences with nutrition education in the US varied. In addition, none of the participants reported receiving formal nutrition education from a health-care professional or nutritionist. Messages participants had received about nutrition education varied and came from family, friends, and the media.
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Keywords
Education, Public health, Nutrition, 1.5 generation, Case study, Chinese American, Nutrition education, Three Tier Structure Approach, Women