title: Barriers and facilitators to childhood obesity prevention among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Victoria, Australia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Childhood obesity is rising among culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) groups who show poor engagement in obesity prevention initiatives. We examined the barriers and facilitators to the engagement of CALD communities in obesity prevention initiatives.
  
  
  METHODS
  We used the nominal group technique to collect data from 39 participants from Vietnamese, Burmese, African, Afghani and Indian origins living in disadvantaged areas of Victoria, Australia. Data analysis revealed ranked priorities for barriers and facilitators for CALD community engagement in obesity prevention initiatives.
  
  
  RESULTS
  CALD parents identified key barriers as being: competing priorities in the post-migration settlement phase; language, cultural and program accessibility barriers; low levels of food and health literacy; junk food advertisement targeting children; and lack of mandatory weight checks for schoolchildren. Key facilitators emerged as: bicultural playgroup leaders; ethnic community groups; and school-based healthy lunch box initiatives.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study has identified several policy recommendations including: the implementation of robust food taxation policies; consistent control of food advertising targeting children; improving CALD health literacy using bicultural workers; and matching health promotional materials with CALD community literacy levels. Implications for Public Health: These recommendations can directly influence public health policy to improve the engagement of CALD communities in obesity prevention services and ultimately reduce the widening obesity disparities in Australia.
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, New South Wales.|Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Sheila
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cyril
authors.affiliation: Judith Lumley Centre, La Trobe University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Jan M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Nicholson
authors.affiliation: School of Science and Health, Western Sydney University, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Kingsley
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Agho
authors.affiliation: Department of Marketing, Deakin University, Victoria.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Polonsky
authors.affiliation: School of Social Sciences and Psychology, Western Sydney University, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Andre M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Renzaho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D018864:Cultural Diversity; D003469:Culture; D004641:Emigration and Immigration; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005523:Food Supply; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D007802:Language; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
keywords: childhood obesity; disadvantaged; migrants; obesity inequalities; obesity prevention