title: Developing programs for African families, by African families: engaging African migrant families in Melbourne in health promotion interventions.
abstract: Obesity is an emerging problem for African migrants in Australia, but few prevention programs incorporate their cultural beliefs and values. This study reports on the application of community capacity-building and empowerment principles in 4 workshops with Sudanese families in Australia. Workshop participants prioritized health behaviors, skill and knowledge gaps, and environments for change to identify culturally centered approaches to health promotion. The workshops highlighted a need for culturally and age-appropriate interventions that build whole-of-family skills and knowledge around the positive effects of physical activity and nutrition to improve health within communities while reducing intergenerational and gender role family conflicts.
authors.affiliation: Global Health and Society Unit, Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Mss Halliday and Mutowo and A/Prof Renzaho); Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Department of Paediatrics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and Parenting Research Centre, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Dr Green); School of Psychology, Faculty of Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia (Prof Mellor); School of Global Health, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (Prof de Courten); and Centre for International Health, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (Prof Renzaho).
authors.forename: Jennifer A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Halliday
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Green
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mellor
authors.forename: Mutsa P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Mutowo
authors.forename: Maximilian
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Courten
authors.forename: André M N
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Renzaho
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D044383:Black People; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003469:Culture; D005190:Family / Q000208:ethnology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control; D016730:Program Development / Q000379:methods*; D013397:Sudan / Q000208:ethnology; D014171:Transients and Migrants