Applying socio-cultural lenses to childhood obesity prevention among African migrants to high-income western countries : the role of acculturation, parenting and family functioning

Migration from third-world and low-income countries to high-income Western countries presents significant challenges for individuals and families, and for health service providers in the receiving societies. Cultural conflicts related to preferred body size/shape and parenting practices, together with differential inter generational rates and styles of acculturation, can affect nutritional and lifestyle choices and be associated with high rates of childhood obesity. Using African cultures as an example, this paper examines these issues. It concludes that, in designing and implementating obesity prevention programmes, health service providers need to understand these factors and how they play out.

Cross cultural perspectives of teachers : a study in three countries

In a shrinking world where globalization has blurred the boundaries across nation states and cultural divides, limitations on intercultural communication can readily give rise to glib generalizations and lack of understanding of diversity. Acknowledging the key role of teachers in shaping the views of future generations, this paper reports on the first stage of a research study on the intercultural understanding of teachers in Australia, Japan, and Thailand. Overall, the teacher participants had diverse cross-cultural experience, differing both in extent and nature of the contact. The methodology used a common survey instrument, except for its language of presentation. However, instead of using a traditional comparative approach to contrast responses of the three target groups, the study asked teachers to provide their perceptions of prevailing world views of people in their own AND the other two countries. The reciprocal nature of the observations provides a powerful methodology to explore perceived intercultural similarities and differences. The article also considers problems associated with response set in investigations of this kind. Three scales are considered — change through intervention, symbolic inner self, and independent thought and action — and the data reveal some similarities but also some striking differences in perceptions across countries. The differences signal a lack of intercultural understanding which is being explored further in a second, qualitative stage of the research. The findings indicate the need for increasing shared programs, exchanges and other opportunities for reciprocal relations that foster genuine dialogue, partnership and intercultural understanding between countries.

Socio-cultural influences on eating practices among female adolescents in Fiji

This thesis examined the sociocultural influences on food and eating practices for both Indigenous-Fijian and Indo-Fijian female adolescents. Findings confirmed the prevalence of traditional customs related to feasting and fasting practices. Weight-change behaviours related to food practices were predicted largely by family and religious influences.

Demographic and socio-cultural correlates of medical mistrust in two Australian states:Victoria and South Australia

Studies on medical mistrust have mainly focused on depicting the association between medical mistrust and access/utilization of healthcare services. The effect of broader socio-demographic and psycho-social factors on medical mistrust remains poorly documented. The study examined the effect of broader socio-demographic factors, acculturation, and discrimination on medical mistrust among 425 African migrants living in Victoria and South Australia, Australia. After adjusting for socio-demographic factors, low medical mistrust scores (i.e., more trusting of the system) were associated with refugee (β=−4.27, p<0.01) and family reunion (β=−4.01, p<0.01) migration statuses, being Christian (β=−2.21, p<0.001), and living in rural or village areas prior to migration (β=−2.09, p<0.05). Medical mistrust did not vary by the type of acculturation, but was positively related to perceived personal (β=0.43, p<0.001) and societal (β=0.38, p<0.001) discrimination. In order to reduce inequalities in healthcare access and utilisation and health outcomes, programs to enhance trust in the medical system among African migrants and to address discrimination within the community are needed.

Socio-cultural disparities in GDM burden differ by maternal age at first delivery

Aims : Several socio-cultural and biomedical risk factors for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are modifiable. However, few studies globally have examined socio-cultural associations. To eliminate confounding of increased risk of diabetes in subsequent pregnancies, elucidating socio-cultural associations requires examination only of first pregnancies.

Methods : Data for all women who delivered their first child in Victoria, Australia between 1999 and 2008 were extracted from the Victorian Perinatal Data Collection. Crude and adjusted GDM rates were calculated. Multivariate logistic regression was used to examine odds of GDM within and between socio-cultural groups.

Results : From 1999 to 2008, 269,682 women delivered their first child in Victoria. GDM complicated 11,763 (4.4%) pregnancies and burden increased with maternal age, from 2.1% among women aged below 25 years at delivery to 7.0% among those aged 35 years or more. Among younger women, GDM rates were relatively stable across socioeconomic levels. Amongst older women GDM rates were highest in those living in most deprived areas, with a strong social gradient. Asian-born mothers had highest GDM rates. All migrant groups except women born in North-West Europe had higher odds of GDM than Australian-born non-Indigenous women. In all ethnic groups, these differences were not pronounced among younger mothers, but became increasingly apparent amongst older women.

Conclusions : Socio-cultural disparities in GDM burden differ by maternal age at first delivery. Socio-cultural gradients were not evident among younger women. Health and social programs should seek to reduce the risk amongst all older women to that of the least deprived older mothers.

Identificación de la reproducción de la pobreza socio-cultural en familias de escolares de bajo rendimiento académico

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Propuesta de identificación de la reproducción de la pobreza socio-cultural: estudio de las escuelas urbanas del interior

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Sport techniques in physical education school: a look at the socio-cultural trends

Teaching sports techniques lessons of Physical Education is a very controversial subject. We must emphasize the fact that called our attention, that dealing with sport in a critical way would be the same as being against the teaching of the art. Several factors contributed in shaping this reality, among them we suspect that the proposal's incomprehension made within the socio-cultural trends. Thus, the aim of this work was to investigate the technical aspects of sports in teaching of Physical Education, as socio-cultural trends part. Throughout the text it is possible to identify new goals considering sportive techniques such as the concern with interests of students who movement, consideration of cultural repertoire of these students, in addition to proposing that the lessons do not restrict implementation of these movements, but also includes the knowledge of social, political, economic and cultural universe of sports events.