When people from Sub-Saharan Africa move to wealthier countries like the United States or Canada, they face big changes in their food choices and eating habits. Researchers looked at 44 studies to understand how African immigrants adapt to new food environments and what happens to their health and happiness. They found that immigrants struggle to keep their traditional food practices while also dealing with limited access to familiar foods and cultural support. The study shows that African immigrants face unique challenges that aren’t always addressed by current health programs, and there’s a need for better support to help them stay healthy and connected to their culture.

The Quick Take

  • What they studied: How African immigrants living in wealthy countries like the US, Canada, and Australia change their eating habits and how this affects their health and sense of belonging
  • Who participated: The review analyzed 44 research studies about Sub-Saharan African immigrants living in higher-income countries. These studies included various groups of African immigrants and their experiences with food and culture
  • Key finding: African immigrants face significant challenges maintaining their traditional foods and eating practices because of limited access to familiar ingredients, cost, and lack of cultural support in their new countries. This can lead to health problems and feelings of disconnection from their culture
  • What it means for you: If you’re an African immigrant or know someone who is, this research suggests that struggling with food choices in a new country is common and understandable. It highlights the need for better community programs and grocery store options that support traditional African foods and cultural practices

The Research Details

This was a scoping review, which means researchers searched through scientific databases to find all existing studies on a specific topic. The team looked through three major databases (PubMed, Scopus, and PsycINFO) and found 343 articles related to African immigrants and their food and health experiences. They carefully read through all these articles and selected 44 that were most relevant and well-done. This approach helps researchers understand what we already know about a topic and identify gaps where more research is needed.

The researchers organized the information from these 44 studies into four main themes or categories. This helped them see patterns in how African immigrants experience food and health challenges. By combining information from many different studies, they could get a bigger picture of the problem rather than relying on just one study.

This type of research is important because it brings together everything scientists already know about a specific group of people. African immigrants have unique experiences that may be different from other immigrant groups, but there hasn’t been much research focused specifically on them. By doing this review, researchers can show what we know, what we don’t know, and where scientists should focus their efforts next. This helps guide future research and policy decisions that could actually help African immigrants stay healthy and happy in their new homes.

This is a systematic review, which is a strong type of research because it looks at many studies instead of just one. The researchers used a careful process to find and select studies, which makes the results more reliable. However, the quality of the findings depends on the quality of the 44 studies they reviewed. The researchers were transparent about their methods, which is a good sign. One limitation is that this review doesn’t include brand new research published after their search date, so some very recent findings might be missing.

What the Results Show

The research identified four major challenges that African immigrants face when it comes to food and health in their new countries. First, immigrants struggle to find and afford the traditional foods they grew up eating. Many African foods aren’t available in regular grocery stores, and when they are available, they’re often much more expensive than in Africa. This makes it hard for people to cook the meals they know and love.

Second, the studies showed that African immigrants often feel pressure to adopt the eating habits of their new country, even when these habits aren’t as healthy. They may eat more processed foods, sugary drinks, and fast food because these are cheaper, more convenient, or because they want to fit in with their new community. Over time, these changes can lead to weight gain and health problems like diabetes and heart disease.

Third, researchers found that losing traditional food practices affects more than just physical health. Food is deeply connected to culture and family identity. When immigrants can’t prepare and share traditional meals, they may feel disconnected from their heritage and their families back home. This can affect their mental health and sense of belonging in their new country.

Fourth, the review highlighted that African immigrants often lack support from their communities and from health programs in their new countries. Healthcare providers and community organizations may not understand the specific challenges African immigrants face, so they can’t offer helpful solutions.

The studies also showed that the experience of dietary change varies depending on factors like how long someone has lived in the new country, their income level, family size, and access to ethnic grocery stores. Immigrants with higher incomes and access to African markets had an easier time maintaining their traditional diets. Additionally, research showed that younger immigrants and second-generation African immigrants were more likely to adopt the eating habits of their new country, which sometimes created tension within families. Some studies found that immigrants who maintained stronger connections to their cultural communities were better able to preserve traditional eating practices.

While there has been research on how immigrants in general change their eating habits when they move to new countries, this review is important because it focuses specifically on Sub-Saharan African immigrants. Previous research on other immigrant groups (like Asian or Latin American immigrants) showed similar patterns of dietary change, but African immigrants may face unique challenges because African foods are less commonly available in Western grocery stores compared to Asian or Latin American foods. This review fills an important gap by showing that African immigrants’ experiences deserve specific attention and tailored solutions.

This review has some important limitations to understand. First, it only included studies published in English, so research published in other languages may have been missed. Second, the quality and size of the 44 studies included varied, meaning some studies were more reliable than others. Third, the review doesn’t provide specific numbers about how many African immigrants are affected or how common these problems are. Fourth, most of the research focused on a few countries (mainly the US, Canada, and Australia), so the findings may not apply to African immigrants in other wealthy countries. Finally, because this is a review of existing research rather than a new study, it can’t prove that dietary changes directly cause health problems—it can only show that these issues are connected.

The Bottom Line

Based on this research, here are evidence-based recommendations: (1) African immigrants should try to maintain some traditional foods and eating practices when possible, as this supports both physical and mental health (moderate confidence). (2) Communities and health organizations should work to increase access to affordable African foods and ingredients (moderate-to-high confidence based on identified barriers). (3) Healthcare providers should ask African immigrant patients about their food preferences and cultural practices, rather than assuming they want to adopt Western eating habits (moderate confidence). (4) Families should create opportunities to share traditional meals together, as this maintains cultural connection and health (moderate confidence). (5) Policymakers should support programs that help African immigrants access culturally appropriate foods and nutrition education (moderate confidence based on identified gaps).

This research is most relevant to African immigrants living in wealthy countries, their families, healthcare providers who work with immigrant communities, public health officials, and community organizations. It’s also important for policymakers who make decisions about food access and immigrant support programs. If you’re an African immigrant struggling with food choices, or if you work with African immigrant communities, this research validates your experiences and shows that these challenges are real and widespread. However, this research is less directly relevant to people who aren’t immigrants or who don’t work with immigrant communities, though it may help them understand the challenges immigrants face.

Changes in eating habits and health outcomes typically take time to develop and reverse. If African immigrants increase their access to traditional foods and cultural practices, they might notice improvements in how they feel within a few weeks to a few months. However, significant health improvements (like weight loss or better blood sugar control) usually take several months to a year or more. Mental health and sense of belonging may improve more quickly once people feel supported in maintaining their cultural practices, potentially within weeks to a few months.

Want to Apply This Research?

  • Track weekly meals prepared using traditional African recipes and ingredients. Users can log: (1) number of traditional meals cooked per week, (2) ingredients used and where they were purchased, (3) family members who participated in meal preparation or eating, and (4) how they felt emotionally after preparing/sharing traditional meals. This creates a measurable way to monitor cultural food practice maintenance.
  • Use the app to: (1) create a searchable database of traditional African recipes organized by country/region, (2) find local ethnic grocery stores and markets that sell African ingredients with user reviews and prices, (3) set weekly goals for preparing traditional meals, (4) connect with other African immigrants in your area who share recipes and food resources, and (5) receive reminders about cultural food practices and their health benefits.
  • Over 3-6 months, track trends in: (1) frequency of traditional meal preparation, (2) variety of traditional foods consumed, (3) cost and accessibility of ingredients, (4) family participation in food preparation, and (5) self-reported feelings of cultural connection and wellbeing. This long-term tracking helps users see whether maintaining traditional food practices is becoming easier and whether it’s affecting their overall health and happiness.

This research is a review of existing studies and does not provide medical advice. The findings describe general patterns and challenges faced by African immigrants but may not apply to every individual. If you have specific health concerns related to nutrition or dietary changes, please consult with a healthcare provider or registered dietitian who understands your cultural background and individual health needs. This review highlights the importance of culturally informed healthcare but should not be used to diagnose or treat any medical condition. Always seek professional medical advice before making significant changes to your diet or health practices.