“This Is Not My Food”: Exploring Experiences Among Patients With a Migration Background in Specialist Eating Disorder Treatment in Sweden

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Abstract
Objective: Existing evidence on eating disorders (EDs) among migrant groups across the Global North is sparse and mixed, possibly reflecting the heterogeneity of these populations. This qualitative study explored experiences among patients with a migration background in Swedish specialist ED treatment, with a focus on barriers to treatment, resources, and needs. Method: Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with 17 adult patients self‐identifying as having a migration background, that is, being a first‐generation migrant or a child of migrants. Thematic analysis was used to identify key themes in the data. The study protocol was preregistered at osf.io/acfdy. Results: Thirteen themes were identified, describing various ways in which cultural and structural aspects of food and eating, body ideals, and treatment seeking affect participants' health. These include experiences of food as community and food insecurity, negotiations of body ideals as persons of color and within a family honor context, ways of relating to mental illness in migrant communities, and a prevailing view of EDs as a White concern within a racially and ethnically homogenous treatment setting. Suggestions for treatment adaptation and community outreach were also made. Discussion: This qualitative study points to numerous barriers that limit access to adequate treatment for migrant patients in Sweden. Participants called for culturally and structurally informed approaches that recognize the constraints that typically affect migrant communities. There is a need for community outreach efforts that engage in active dialogue with underserved populations.
Funding Information
  • Karolinska Institutet
  • Fredrik och Ingrid Thurings Stiftelse

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