Understanding the nutrition information needs of migrant communities: The needs of African and Pacific Islander communities of Logan, Queensland

Abstract

Objective The purpose of the present study was to investigate the nutrition information needs of the Pacific Islander and African migrant communities of Logan.Design The present study was structured as a needs assessment and used qualitative research methods. An integrative review was used to gather and analyse data relating to comparative and normative needs, while semi-structured interviews were undertaken for the felt and expressed needs.Setting Logan City, Queensland, Australia.Subjects African and Pacific Islander migrants and health and social service providers within the Logan region.Results The study identified the need for more accessible means of information delivery such as visual and face-to-face methods or hands-on demonstrations. The study found that information should be delivered in a staged approach on topics including food safety, Australian foods, healthy eating and diet-disease relationships, according to a migrants length of residence in Australia.Conclusions The present study contributes to our understanding of the nutrition information needs of African and Pacific Islander migrant communities of Logan. These findings will enable the development of more appropriate nutrition information and health services for these Logan communities and other similar communities across Australia. © 2010 The Authors.