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Table 2 The components of the ‘Healthy Migrant Families Initiative: Challenges and Choices’

From: The Healthy Migrant Families Initiative: development of a culturally competent obesity prevention intervention for African migrants

Session number

Module

Session title

Purpose

Key messages

Activities

1

Healthy families in a new culture

Living in Australia and how it affects your health

To identify and discuss the differences between living in Australia and living in Africa

• Life in Africa and life in Australia are different in many ways (culture, lifestyle, food, transport, school, support, etc.), which all impact on the health

Group discussion and activities to introduce the parents to each other and some of the basic concepts to be covered during the program:

• Introductions/icebreakers

• Defining health (ecological definition)

• Devising strategies for living a healthy life

• The differences between living in Africa and Australia

2

Healthy families in a new culture

Raising teenagers in a new culture

To encourage positive family relationships and discuss the challenges families may face when moving to Australia and ways in which these challenges can be overcome

• Parenting is challenging for everyone, regardless of where they come from

Group discussion and activities to show parents that they are not alone in the challenges that they face raising their teenagers, and as a way of sharing strategies for overcoming such challenges:

• Changes/challenges faced in moving to a new country

• Devising strategies for bridging the cultural gap between parents and teenagers to build more positive relationships.

• Strategies to assist parents to be positive role models and reduce the cultural gap with their children

• Take home activity: discuss and implement the strategies for building positive families with their family they learned during the session, and make a plan to implement some of the strategies at home

3

Healthy lifestyles in a new culture

Body shape and active living

To promote physical activity as part of a healthy lifestyle and devise strategies to encourage regular physical activity

• Cultural differences regarding healthy body shape/size preferences

Group discussion and activities to examine various contributors to body shape and brainstorm strategies for increasing activity levels:

• Selecting ‘healthy’ body shapes from the Australian and African perspective using silhouettes of various body shapes

• Contributors to various body shapes/sizes

• Differences in lifestyle between Africa and Australia

• The benefits of physical activity for body weight, health, lifestyle, and families

• Types of sedentary activities, and strategies for increasing activity in the family

• Take home activity: take note of the amount of electronic media the family uses in their leisure time and compare these to the recommended guidelines; and talk with their family about implementing strategies that will increase the health and activity levels of the family

• Physical activity recommended guidelines

4

Healthy lifestyles in a new culture

Understanding healthy eating

To promote the benefits of healthy eating and introduce the healthy food pyramid

• Basic principles of healthy eating using the ‘healthy food pyramid’ (adapted to include traditional African foods) as a guide, with a focus on individual foods/food groups and how often to consume those foods as part of a healthy and balanced diet

• Group discussion and activities to develop and consolidate understanding of the basic principles of healthy eating:

• Discussion of the benefits of healthy eating

• Estimating the number of teaspoons of sugar in glasses of common drinks

• Sorting picture cards of foods into ‘eat most’, ‘eat moderately’, and ‘eat least’ (in accordance with the healthy food pyramid)

• Take home activity: bring a copy of a favourite recipe that they cook frequently for a family meal. Put their (magnetic laminated) copy of the healthy food pyramid on their fridge or wall at home

5

Healthy families in a new culture

Improving family communication

To equip parents with tools (active listening, assertiveness, and “I” messages) for better communication with their family

• Cultural differences in family communication, and strategies for improving communication within the family

Group discussion and activities about strategies for good communication:

• Discussion of challenges in communication with teenagers and brainstorming strategies for resolution of them

• Activities to practice using active listening, assertiveness, and “I” messages using example scenarios which might be common African migrant families

• Take home activity: practice the active listening and “I” message skills at home with their family

6

Healthy families in a new culture

Raising a family in Australia: discipline and conflict resolution

To equip parents with strategies to resolve conflict within their family and discuss cultural difference in discipline methods between Africa and Australia

• Different styles of parenting exist

Discussion and activities about resolving conflicts within the family:

• Often Australian and African parents resolve family conflict

• Discussion of the similarities and differences in raising a family in Africa and Australia,

• and discipline their children in different ways

• Brainstorming alternative solutions to discipline than corporal punishment

• Australia has different laws compared to most African countries regarding discipline of children

• Steps for conflict resolution

• Take home activity: practice the conflict resolution steps/alternate discipline strategies at home in family issues that arise

• Alternative ways of disciplining children that are also helpful for building positive family relationships

7

Healthy lifestyles in a new culture

Making healthy choices at home and away from home

To encourage parents to apply the principles of healthy eating principles when cooking meals at home and purchasing food outside of the home

• How to incorporate the principles of healthy eating when preparing meals at home and selecting foods away from home

Discussion and activities to develop skills in making healthier food choices for the family:

• Modification of recipes to make them healthier

• Sorting laminated A4 picture cards of various meals into ‘most healthy choice’, moderately healthy choice’ and ‘least healthy choice’

• How to prevent food contamination and food poisoning (food safety)

• Food safety

• Take home activity: test one of the modified recipes at home

8

Healthy lifestyles in a new culture

Healthy breakfasts, lunches and snacks

To encourage parents to plan meals and inspire appropriate, healthy meals for the whole family

• Small regular meals (e.g. 5–6 small meals per day) are recommended for good health

Discussion and activities to build skills in preparing healthy meals:

• Discussion of the importance of breakfast

• Brainstorming ideas to encourage breakfast and school lunch consumption

• Discussion of ideas for healthy breakfast and lunches

• Sorting laminated A4 picture cards of snacks into ‘healthy’ and ‘unhealthy’

• Appropriate healthy foods for breakfast, lunches and snacks

• Developing a healthy meal plan (whole day) for their teenager using A4 laminated picture cards

• Strategies for encouraging teenagers to eat their lunch at school

• Take home activity: discuss the session with their family and incorporate lessons learnt. And collect their grocery shopping receipts for 1 week to bring to session 9

9

Healthy lifestyles in a new culture

Smart shopping

To apply the principles of healthy to grocery shopping and discuss strategies for ‘smart shopping’ including budgeting, and reading food labels

• How to read food nutrition labels

Discussion and activities to build skills in shopping for healthy foods:

• Analyse the healthfulness of their families food consumption using their grocery receipts and a colour code system

• Practice reading food labels using A4 laminated picture cards and a laminated wallet-sized shopping tool

• Pre-planning can help to make cost-effective and healthy food purchases

• Brainstorm ways to save money on food

• Take home activity: devise solutions for making healthy changes to their grocery shopping with their family, plan their weekly family meals and prepare a shopping list, and practice reading nutrition labels using the shopping tool

• Healthy eating is affordable and most of the time, healthy food is cheaper than unhealthy food

• Certificates handed out to participants who complete the program