Research & Practice
Afghan Foods Nutrition Education
EthnoMed is a website run by Harborview Medical Center that contains medical and cultural information about underserved populations, including immigrant and refugee groups. They create resources for local health providers to help them support the unique health needs of these communities in King County, including individuals from Afghanistan. Afghan immigration to the United States nearly quadrupled from 54,000 to 194,000 between 2010 and 2022, and the greater Seattle area has the sixth largest population of foreign-born Afghans (as of 2022) in the U.S.
In collaboration with other students in the UW School of Public Health, UW Medicine, and members of the Afghan community, this practicum project aimed to create an Afghan nutrition guide to provide culturally appropriate nutrition education to native Afghanis living in the US. Interviews (with a translator) were conducted with multiple Afghani households to learn about their food culture and dietary habits, including examining the cultural, social, and religious aspects of eating, including communal dining, celebration foods, and Ramadan practices, among others. Using the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, the resulting nutrition guide includes recommended nutrients, examples of a balanced diet (including photographs), special diets (like those for pregnancy, children, diabetes, and more), and food safety.
Materials Available
Project Type(s): MPH Practicum
Author(s): Norma Garfias Avila
Program(s): Master of Public Health
Year: 2022
Adviser(s):