University of Otago human nutrition researcher Dr Edmond Fehoko said in a statement much of the problem lay around food neophobia among Pacific communities — an extreme or irrational fear or dislike of any food that is new or unfamiliar.
Dr Fehoko has just received a Health Research Council Health Delivery Research Activation Grant worth $30,000 to conduct groundbreaking research into food neophobia, and find ways to improve nutrition.
"Food plays a significant role in our familial and cultural settings.
"However, there is a reluctance to eat so-called ‘new foods’ such as fruits, vegetables, seeds, nuts and whole-grains products.
"This, in turn, negatively impacts the health and wellbeing of Pacific families and communities.
"Pacific peoples need to shift behaviours, experiences and ideas around food — more specifically around the need to consume ‘new’ foods."
These concerning health trends were largely driven by diet and limited access to healthy foods.
While extensively studied in Western contexts and integrated into national health policies in several European countries, he said the influence of food neophobia on dietary quality within a New Zealand context, particularly among Pacific communities, remained largely unexplored.
He said his study aimed to address this research gap by examining food neophobia across Pacific cultures and its potential links to nutritional status, making a crucial initial phase of a broader research endeavour aimed at enhancing health outcomes for Pacific peoples.
"My 3-year-old daughter is part of the inspiration for this work.
"If we can make positive shifts today, there is hope that there will be positive shifts of the nutrition status of Pacific communities in the future."
