Jaclyn Coleman and Jane H. Lassetter, PhD, RN, College of Nursing

My Orca project aimed at researching Pacific Islander parents’ feeding practices and cultural preferences about infant body weight. I analyzed 10 interviews of Utahan Pacific Islander families in a focused ethnographic study about Pacific Islander caregivers’ infant feeding and health-related activities. The main stipulations of the interviews included: one of the participant caregivers needed to be Pacific Islander and at least one of the participant’s children needed to be an infant between six to 18 months of age. There were 11 females and 5 male caregivers interviewed ages 23-61 years, with a mean age of 29.6 years. Ethnicities of the caregivers included: four Hawaiian, three Samoan, four Tongan, two Pacific Islander, two Caucasian and one Native American. Of the ten interviews, there were three female and seven male infants with a mean age of 13.9 months.

The interviews comprised of qualitative questions asking participants to describe their typical breakfast, lunch and dinner meals. Participants were asked who attended certain meals, how and when meals were served to children, when and what children were given for snacks, course of breastfeeding and introduction of food and what foods caregivers encouraged. Caregivers were also asked to describe their child’s hunger and satiety clues. Interviewers also asked about physical activities, family member illnesses, caregiver health concerns and future aspirations for the infant.

To analyze the data, I first read and re-read each interview and took notes of important concepts throughout the interviews. I then organized the data into categories and looked for commonalties and differences between the interviews. I comprised tables with columns comparing the significant elements of the interviews including: typical meals and snacks, breastfeeding and introduction of food, food encouraged, hunger and satiety clues, physical activities, childcare and feeding responsibilities, concerns, future aspirations and family member illnesses. I then wrote a paper summarizing the main themes, quotes, preferences and practices of the participants. Throughout the research process, I held regular meetings with my mentor to discuss my categories, codes and findings which greatly enhanced my learning and helped me develop overarching themes from the data.

Here is a brief explanation of some of the common themes developed on the topics of meals, food introduction and care giving responsibilities. Dinner was the meal of highest priority and usually involved all the family members. Dinner meals centered on meat, primarily chicken, white rice and a starchy vegetable. Choices of foods, especially fruits and vegetables, were usually based on cost and convenience. One mother perfectly summarized, “The Polynesians, well people in general, will tend to buy foods that’s more economical. And so that’s why you do have a lot of potatoes, or a lot of vegetables that will stretch and be filling. And so taro, ya, you might get one piece of taro, but that will feed a few people and it will be filling with one piece.” About once a week most of the participants would have one large dinner meal with extended family members and friends. According to one participant, “when we’re all together, it’s like cook everything in the house. It’s like eating like there’s no tomorrow.” Individuals actually purposely prepare a plenteous amount of food and participants expect to take home food for the next day.

All of the mothers interviewed for the study attempted breastfeeding. The two anomalies included: one mother who didn’t want to breastfeed but pumped for three months and another mother had difficulty and only breastfeed for three days. The average age of introducing solid foods was between 6 to 7 months. Many of the parents used rice cereal to start but many began to just “smash” up the family meals, especially canned vegetables. In seven out of the ten interviews parents commented that their children, “didn’t take the bottle well” and instead preferred sippy cups.

Care giving and feeding are usually the responsibility of the child’s mother but often the child’s father, extended family and even older siblings “help out”. However, there seemed to be large discrepancies between caregivers’ preferences and practices, especially between the child’s parents and grandparents. When asked how they could tell hunger and satiety in their children all of the parents could name and explain their child’s signals. Many parents stated that their children cried when they were hungry and full but that they could tell the difference between the cries.

Pacific Islander eating practices are communal. From an early age, children eat exactly what their caregivers eat and are fed by all who live in the home, including siblings. This communal theme continues as participants hold weekly feasts with family and friends throughout their lives. Overall, this Orca analysis has helped me develop culturally appropriate interventions for Pacific Islander families regarding diet and activity to appropriately reduce their Body Mass Indexes (BMIs). Ultimately, we hope to improve overall heath and decrease the risk for chronic diseases. Findings of Pacific Islander feeding practices were presented at the College of Nursing Research Conference on October 10, 2011. Additionally, a PowerPoint presentation was given at the 2011 Intermountain Evidence-Based Nursing Research Conference on October 28 summarizing our Orca research findings. Abstracts have also been submitted for the Western Institute of Nursing Conference in Portland, April 2012 and the Sigma Theta Tau 23rd International Nursing Research Congress in Australia July, 2012.

I would like to especially thank Jane Lassetter for her continued mentorship. She has taught me so much and has helped fuel my love of research. I would also like to thank all the Pacific Islanders who assisted with this study including all those I met on my BYU nursing study abroad. Throughout this project, I was constantly invited to feasts of food and knowledge by friends and strangers alike. Thank you for teaching, welcoming and loving me at your tender tables! I definitely have plenty to share for many tomorrows to come!