Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #116696

Andrea L. Leinberger-Jabari, MPH¹, Sirad Abdirahman, MPH¹, Diana DuBois, MPH/MIA¹, Qamar Ibrahim, MS², Saeed Fahia, PhD³, Marian Del, BSc³, and Khadija Sheikh¹. (1) Minnesota International Health Volunteers (MIHV), 122 West Franklin Avenue, Suite #510, Minneapolis, MN 55404-2480, 612-871-3759, aleinberger@mihv.org, (2) Leadership, Empowerment, and Development Group (LEAD), 1313 5th Street SE, Suite 223B, Minneapolis, MN 55414, (3) Brian Coyle Community Center, Confederation of Somali Community in Minnesota (CSCM), 420 15th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55454

Somali refugees began arriving in Minnesota in the early 1990s and an estimated 25,000 now live in Minnesota. Somalis in Minnesota have experienced a drastic change in the variety of foods available as well as opportunities for physical activity. A sample of 296 Somali adults residing in Minneapolis/St. Paul were interviewed and asked about their daily fruit and vegetable intake as well as daily physical activity as part of a Somali health survey. Less than five percent of Somali adults were consuming the recommended amounts of fruits and vegetables and less than 20% were engaging in the recommended amounts of exercise. To develop evidence-based interventions that promote positive behavior change, a series of six focus groups were conducted to better explore the survey data. The objectives of the focus groups were to identify perceptions of good nutrition and physical activity and barriers that may exist. Preliminary results illustrate that although Somali men and women value good nutrition and exercise as a means to maintain health and well-being, they are unable to access the types of food they consider nutritious and have adopted a more sedentary lifestyle. Interventions to address these disparities should be based in the community and draw on existing resources to create sustainability. In order to be effective, nutrition and physical activity programs should attempt to incorporate traditional practices and be respectful of cultural norms. In addition, programs that emphasize the importance of incorporating foods from a variety of sources may be more effective than specific food-focused campaigns.

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