Retaining Traditional Dietary Practices among Greek Immigrants to Australia: The Role of Ethnic Identity

ABSTRACT

This article explores why some Greek immigrants to Australia continue to adhere to a traditional Mediterranean diet whereas others have adopted eating behaviors characteristic of a less healthy “Australian” diet. Twelve qualitative interviews were conducted and comparisons made between individuals consuming more (n = 6) and less traditional diets (n = 6). The level of adherence to the diet was previously assessed by a diet score in a separate quantitative study (MEDIS-Australia) from which the subset of 12 participants for the present study was recruited. Analysis revealed that maintenance of a strong ethnic identity offers a pathway through which individuals retain dietary practices of their homeland.

KEYWORDS:

• Acculturation
• emigration and immigration
• ethnic identity
• Mediterranean diet
• qualitative research

Acknowledgments

We acknowledge the time and contributions of all survey participants and interview respondents and the team of interviewers from La Trobe University, including Dr. Maria Avgoulas and Dr. Spero Tsindos.

Funding

This work was supported by the Flinders University Faculty Funding under grant number 594.37395.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Flinders University Faculty Funding under grant number 594.37395.