University of Massachusetts Amherst
ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014
2013
Food Insecurity and Culture - A Study of Cambodian and Brazilian Immigrants Sarvnaz Modarresi Ghavami University of Massachusetts Amherst
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses Part of the International and Community Nutrition Commons Modarresi Ghavami, Sarvnaz, "Food Insecurity and Culture - A Study of Cambodian and Brazilian Immigrants" (2013). Masters Theses 1911 - February 2014. 1141. Retrieved from https://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/1141
This thesis is brought to you for free and open access by ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. It has been accepted for inclusion in Masters Theses 1911 February 2014 by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst. For more information, please contact
[email protected].
FOOD INSECURITY AND CULTURE- A STUDY OF CAMBODIAN AND BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANTS
A thesis presented by SARVNAZ MODARRESI GHAVAMI
Submitted to the Graduate School of the University of Massachusetts Amherst in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of
MASTER OF SCIENCE September 2013 Department of Nutrition
FOOD INSECURITY AND CULTURE- A STUDY OF CAMBODIAN AND BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANTS
A Thesis Presented by SARVNAZ MODARRESI GHAVAMI
Approved as to style and content by:
Jerusha Nelson Peterman, Chair
Lorraine Cordeiro, Member
Elena Carbone, Member
Nancy L. Cohen, Department Head Department of Nutrition School of Public Health and Health Sciences
DEDICATION I dedicate this thesis project to the loving memory of my father, Hassan Modarresi Ghavami and to the greatest mother, Eram Farsad.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank my thesis committee chair, Dr. Jerusha Peterman, for her patient and skillful guidance through every step of the thesis process. Thanks to both of my committee members, Dr. Elena Carbone, and Dr. Lorraine Cordeiro for their insight. I would also like to thank the staff, and participants of the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association of Greater Lowell, Inc. (CMAA), and the Lowell Adult Education Center (LAEC) for their willingness and cooperation in this project. I would like to thank my Mother, Eram Farsad, and my siblings Golnaz and Alireza, my sister-in-law Mehrnoush Ghafari, and the most amazing and beautiful niece, Niki Modarresi Ghavami for their much needed support and love. Lastly, I would like to thank my very good friends in Amherst, Massachusetts for their words of encouragement and support throughout the entire project. I cannot thank you enough.
iv
ABSTRACT FOOD INSECURITY AND CULTURE- A STUDY OF CAMBODIAN AND BRAZILIAN IMMIGRANTS SEPTEMBER 2013
SARVNAZ MODARRESI GHAVAMI, B.S., IRAN UNIVERSITY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES M.S., UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS AMHERST Directed by: Jerusha Nelson Peterman Vulnerable immigrant populations such as refugees and undocumented immigrants are at higher risk for food insecurity and its health consequences than other low- income populations. Acculturation and adaptation of certain coping strategies, as well as certain characteristics, make these populations vulnerable to food insecurity. This thesis focuses on two of the understudied immigrant populations in Lowell, Massachusetts: Brazilian immigrants and Cambodian refugees and immigrants. To better understand food insecurity, acculturation, and coping strategies of these immigrant populations, we conducted a mixed-methods study with two Brazilian focus groups (n=16) and three Cambodian focus groups (n=21). We assessed 1) food security experiences, 2) the role of acculturation in the aspects of food security status, and 3) the role of coping strategies in the food insecurity and acculturation of these populations. Participants were similar with respect to age, income, length of stay in the U.S. across both Brazilian and Cambodian groups. Native language was the preferred v
language spoken at home. In quantitative survey analyses, Cambodians participants experienced higher rates of food insecurity compared to Brazilians (91% vs. 25%, p