Public health nursing (Boston, Mass.)
Volume 33, Issue 4, 2016, Pages 343-350

Counseling Immigrant Parents about Food and Feeding Practices: Public Health Nurses' Experiences (Article)

Holmberg Fagerlund B. , Pettersen K.S. , Terragni L. , Glavin K.
  • a Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway, Norway
  • b Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway, Norway
  • c Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway, Norway
  • d Department of Nursing and Health Promotion, Faculty of Health Sciences, Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Oslo, Norway, Norway, Department of Nursing, Diakonova University College, Oslo, Norway, Norway

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To describe the experiences of public health nurses (PHNs) in counseling immigrant parents on food and feeding practices at child health centers (CHCs).DESIGN AND SAMPLE: In this study employing a qualitative description (QD) approach, the participants (n = 26) were PHNs from five CHCs in the greater Oslo region of Norway.MEASURES: Data were collected through five focus group interviews and examined using qualitative content analysis.RESULTS: Counseling on food and feeding practices was an important topic in most consultations with immigrant parents. The PHNs were concerned that the child should eat ordinary, healthy food regularly. Immigrant families were often experienced as a "generic group" and the PHNs disclosed that they rarely adjusted their counseling strategy based on enquiries about families' food culture or parents' level of education or knowledge. Time constraints and language and cultural barriers were common challenges. The PHNs suggested that culturally adapted information materials and visual aids from health authorities could improve communication.CONCLUSIONS: Counseling immigrant parents on food and feeding at CHCs is often challenging for PHNs. The study findings could be used in the development of guidelines to assist PHNs in delivering culturally competent counseling about food and feeding practices. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Author Keywords

Food Immigrant Counseling focus groups nutrition child health services Public health nursing

Index Keywords

information processing Parents Communication Barriers nurse Norway Professional-Family Relations human communication disorder middle aged statistics and numerical data feeding behavior language Nurses, Public Health qualitative research human relation Humans migrant psychology parent counseling Emigrants and Immigrants female Infant cultural factor adult child health care Child Health Services Cultural Characteristics Focus Groups Child
Link
https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85028241811&doi=10.1111%2fphn.12248&partnerID=40&md5=6259f6d708352f3da46be4f748c51331
DOI: 10.1111/phn.12248
ISSN: 15251446
Cited by: 6
Original Language: English