Approaches for prioritising the nutritional needs of refugee communities
Claire Palermo A C , Clare Robinson A , Kate Robertson A and Shireen Hii BA Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Monash University, Level 5 Block E, Monash Medical Centre, 246 Clayton Road, Clayton, Vic. 3168, Australia.
B Greater Dandenong Community Health Service, 229 Thomas Street, Dandenong, Vic. 3175, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: claire.palermo@monash.edu
Australian Journal of Primary Health 18(1) 11-16 https://doi.org/10.1071/PY11008
Submitted: 27 January 2011 Accepted: 26 May 2011 Published: 16 September 2011
Abstract
An important part of health promotion planning is identifying priority areas for programs. A typical approach includes a needs assessment where a deficit-oriented approach captures problems within a community. Approaches that focus on strengths have emerged as potentially more appropriate and effective methods for program planning. This report describes the outcomes and learning from using both a deficit-oriented and strength-based approach for identifying and describing nutrition priorities of refugee communities. Focus groups (n = 11) were conducted using both methods with a total of 69 community members from Afghan, Burmese and Sudanese backgrounds. Analysis of the focus group transcripts using a content analysis approach identified key influences on food choice and determinants of health and nutrition. There were differences in the type of information obtained from the deficit-oriented and strength-based approach. Although the strength-based approach was unfamiliar to participants and offered several challenges, it identified unique aspects of the communities that were not identified by the deficit-oriented approach, and could be used as the basis for planning community health promotion strategies. Elements of each method should be considered when designing community program planning strategies.
Additional keywords: appreciative inquiry, deficit-oriented needs assessment, situational assessment, strength-based health promotion.
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