The Intersection of Culture, Eating Habits and Eating Competence Among U.S.-born vs Immigrant Southeast Asian College Students

Abstract

Southeast Asian (SEA) countries have a shared culture that is distinct from the vaguely defined "Asian culture," a nuance that is lost in U.S.-based research that reports racial demographic groups as opposed to ethnic ones. SEA cultures share characteristics in their relationship to food and mealtimes, and understanding these cultural influences on eating habits can better inform nutrition interventions and barriers to eating competence (EC) among SEA Americans. EC emphasizes positive attitudes, internal cues, food enjoyment, and meal planning without restrictive rules. This mixed methods analysis examines the association between culture, eating habits, and EC among U.S.-born (n=77) versus immigrant (n=36) SEA undergraduate college students in the U.S. We hypothesized that EC would be higher in the immigrant SEA population due to aspects of traditional food culture that may align with the Satter Eating Competence Model (ecSatter). EC was measured via the Satter Eating Competence Inventory (ecSI 2.0TM) and perceived influence of culture was analyzed through written responses to the question, "How does your culture and/or upbringing inform what and how you eat?". Results showed no statistically significant difference in ecSI 2.0TM scores between the U.S.-born and immigrant SEA groups (p=0.8302). However, qualitative analysis revealed insights into SEA culture and wider "Asian culture" on food. These insights include an emphasis on balanced meals, rice as a staple grain, traditional food as inherently "healthy," and aspects of SEA culture that align with EC. While there may be features of SEA food culture that promote (or hinder) EC, future research is needed to further explore how EC appears in SEA cultures.