The influence of traditional food consumption on Cameroonian immigrants’ perception of type 2 diabetes in Minnesota: an exploratory qualitative study

TL;DR

This study explores how traditional food habits influence perceptions of type 2 diabetes risk among Cameroonian immigrants in Minnesota, highlighting cultural and healthcare challenges.

Contribution

The study introduces a culturally grounded, qualitative exploration of dietary influences on diabetes risk perception among Cameroonian immigrants.

Findings

Traditional food consumption is linked to health beliefs and behaviors among Cameroonian immigrants.

Structural barriers like healthcare access and cultural disconnects affect diabetes risk awareness.

Behavioral flexibility and community support act as protective factors for healthier lifestyles.

Abstract

This study explored how traditional food consumption shapes perceptions of type 2 diabetes (T2D) risk among nondiabetic Cameroonian immigrants residing in Minnesota, USA. The focus was on participants’ dietary behaviors, lifestyle adaptations, and experiences with the U. S. healthcare system. Guided by an integrated theoretical framework—including the Health Belief Model (HBM), socioecological theory (SEM), risk/protective factors, and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)—the study aimed to understand perceived influences rather than establish causal effects.

Thirteen Cameroonian immigrants aged 25–50, residing in the U. S. for at least one year, participated in semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Discussions included dietary practices, access to traditional foods, recipe adaptations, exercise routines, and experiences with healthcare providers. Data were analyzed thematically using a rigorous coding process, with interpretations explicitly linked to the integrated theoretical frameworks to enhance credibility and theoretical coherence.

Participants retained strong cultural ties through traditional foods, but challenges such as limited availability, high cost, seasonal constraints, and competing work and family demands affected diet quality. Modifications to recipes and incorporation of locally available ingredients reflected behavioral flexibility and self-efficacy (SCT). Initial difficulties navigating the U. S. health insurance system highlighted structural barriers, while later understanding illustrated multi-level influences on health behaviors (SEM). Limited culturally appropriate healthcare services and gaps in knowledge about T2D risk underscored individual and community-level barriers, alongside protective factors such as family support, community networks, and motivation for healthier behaviors (HBM, risk/protective factors).

Findings highlight how traditional food consumption correlates with perceptions of T2D risk and interacts with broader lifestyle, cultural, and healthcare contexts. While the study does not claim causality, qualitative data reveal pathways through which dietary practices inform health beliefs and decision-making within migrant contexts. These insights support the need for culturally responsive, multi-level interventions that integrate dietary counseling, lifestyle modification, and education. Clinicians and public health practitioners should adopt theoretically grounded, culturally sensitive strategies to enhance self-efficacy and support sustainable T2D prevention among Cameroonian immigrants while acknowledging their distinct social and environmental contexts.

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