Long Oral Presentation Nutrition Society of Australia 50th Annual Scientific Meeting 2026

What makes a pregnancy nutrition resource culturally appropriate? Insights from African migrant women and healthcare professionals in Australia (147055)

Bolanle Olajide 1 , Paige van der Pligt 2 3 4 , Vidanka Vasilevski 5 6 , Fiona McKay 1
  1. School of Health and Social Development, Institute for Health Transformation (IHT), Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria 3125, Australia
  2. Department of Allied Health, School of Health Sciences, Swinburne University of Technology, Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria, 3122, Australia
  3. School of Health and Social Development, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
  4. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Western Health, Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria, 3011, Australia
  5. School of Nursing & Midwifery, Centre for Quality and Patient Safety Research, Institute for Health Transformation, Deakin University, Burwood, Melbourne, Victoria, 3125, Australia
  6. Western Health, St Albans, Melbourne, Victoria, 3021, Australia

Pregnancy specific nutrition resources are an important component of antenatal care, supporting optimal nutrition and the health of women and their babies. However, generic resources may not adequately address the needs and cultural food practices of migrant women (1). This may contribute to uncertainty about how to meet nutritional needs while maintaining culturally familiar food practices. Previous research with African migrant women in Australia identified the need for culturally tailored pregnancy nutrition resources (2); however, little is known about what women and healthcare professionals (HCPs) consider important in making such resources culturally appropriate. The aim of this study was to explore the preferences of African migrant women and HCPs for the content, format and features of a culturally tailored pregnancy nutrition resource for use in antenatal care. Guided by the Stanford Design Thinking framework (3), four online co-design workshops were conducted with seven African migrant women and five HCPs between February and May 2025. Women and HCPs first participated in separate workshops to review existing pregnancy nutrition resources, identify gaps, and discuss preferred resource formats and content, before participating in two joint workshops to further refine and prioritise the suggested resource formats and content. Audio-recordings were transcribed verbatim and analysed deductively and inductively using Braun and Clarke's reflexive thematic analysis (4). Participants consistently perceived existing pregnancy nutrition resources as insufficiently tailored to African food practices because they lacked information on commonly consumed African foods, culturally specific food practices, and practical guidance relevant to African migrant women living in Australia. Women and HCPs shared similar priorities for culturally tailored resources, preferring both digital and paper-based formats, with mobile applications, websites, pamphlets and food guides identified as the most useful options. Participants highlighted that culturally appropriate resources should incorporate commonly consumed African foods, suitable alternative or substitute foods available in Australia, information addressing common cultural food restrictions during pregnancy, guidance on where culturally familiar and alternative foods can be purchased, and practical meal ideas presented using concise, visually engaging formats. Women considered these features important for increasing their engagement with pregnancy nutrition resources, while HCPs considered them important for supporting culturally responsive nutrition care during antenatal consultations. Embedding these key components into pregnancy nutrition resources may bridge the gap between generic nutrition guidance and culturally responsive antenatal nutrition care, hence, providing best support for nutrition-related health of pregnant women.

  1. Palani D, Tucker J & Briley A (2025) Midwifery 145,104367.
  2. Olajide BR, Pligt Pvd, Vasilevski V et al. (2025) J Racial Ethn Health Disparities 1-12.
  3. Plattner H (2013) An Introduction to Design Thinking.
  4. Braun V & Clarke V (2022) SAGE Publications.