Effectiveness and acceptability of two dietary interventions in African women in diaspora.

Adeboye, Bridget Onyechigoziri

Abstract

Obesity disproportionally affects women of ethnic minorities, especially those of African descent, living in the United Kingdom (UK). The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has estimated that obesity rates are 13% higher among African women when compared with their Caucasian counterparts, living in the UK. It has been documented that increased obesity in the immigrant population is primarily driven by post-migration dietary changes combined with decreased physical activity, which are characteristic of contemporary Western lifestyles. One of the means of tackling obesity is through dietary interventions and lifestyle changes. The effectiveness of a High Protein Low Carbohydrate diet (HPLC) and of a Calorie Deficit Diet (CDD) on achieving weight loss and subsequently maintaining a healthy weight have been tested mainly on Caucasian subjects, but not so much with the African diaspora. There is a lack of evidence to inform the dietary intervention for certain ethnic groups that reside in Northeast Scotland, of which Africans are an integral part of the growing population. A mixed method approach was adopted in this study: (1) A focus group to gather information about the best approach for recruitment and follow-up within the population of interest; (2) Quantitative Feasibility Study of dietary interventions, using a 600 Calorie Deficient Diet (CDD) and a High Protein Low Carbohydrate (HPLC) diet over a 12-week active dietary intervention with a population of obese African women in North-east of Scotland; (3) A semi-structured telephone interview with selected participants at the end of a 6-month post-dietary intervention. The results of the study demonstrate that this population of obese African women living in the NE Scotland are internally motivated to achieve a healthy weight. Both diets were effective in achieving modest weight loss in most participants with the losses by the HPLC group being slightly higher. However, the study highlighted that barriers such as portion control, non-compliance with the diets, linked to lack of appropriate information on the energy content of African foods remain as obstacles on the path to these women achieving and sustaining a healthy weight.

Citation

ADEBOYE, B.O. 2019. Effectiveness and acceptability of two dietary interventions in African women in diaspora. Robert Gordon University [online], PhD thesis. Available from: https://openair.rgu.ac.uk

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Jan 27, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Jan 27, 2020
• Keywords: African women; Ethnic minorities; Obesity; Weight loss; Dietary interventions
• Public URL: https://rgu-repository.worktribe.com/output/840937
• Award Date: Nov 30, 2019