Premium
Transferring an innovation in food and lifestyle education: adaptation of a French obesity prevention methodology in Australia (262.2)
Author(s) -
Hartwick Carol Anne,
Coveney John,
Cox David,
Meyer Samantha,
Sue Roger
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.28.1_supplement.262.2
Subject(s) - commonwealth , humanity , public relations , sociology , taste , adaptation (eye) , knowledge transfer , political science , psychology , management , neuroscience , law , economics
Property of the UNESCO Patrimony of Humanity, the French food model (FFM) is founded upon taste, social conviviality and structure. EPODE, a community‐based obesity prevention program promoting the FFM in France, was developed in 2003 and has been disseminated globally, including to Australian communities. There is no literature informing on the conditions for such cross‐cultural methodology transfers. The objective of this study is to examine French and Australian cultural contexts (food habits, environments, etc.), how the EPODE and OPAL programs function within them, and to understand the conditions for transfer. Qualitative, case study approaches used focus groups, semi‐structured interviews, and observations in EPODE and OPAL communities in France and Australia with program coordinators, implementers, children and families. The findings show that, although the holistic food principles behind EPODE gave ground for its importation, they did not transfer to OPAL. French study participants hold unquestioned assumptions toward their own cultural particularities and therefore the French food principals were not included in the formalized EPODE methodology. OPAL used Australian, nutrition‐focused principals without question, in line with Australian evidence. Unexamined assumptions of one’s own culture may be a barrier to cross‐cultural methodology transfers and thus cultural principals should be examined, defined and taken into account. Grant Funding Source : Supported by Flinders University, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation