Food & healthy lifestyles: what we heard from the Sudanese community in Oxfordshire

Healthwatch Oxfordshire undertook research on the current relationship between diet and exercise within the Sudanese community in Oxford, and to encourage individuals to maintain a healthy lifestyle. They conducted interviews and a survey, speaking to 22 Sudanese people in total.

A significant number of those interviewed had high blood pressure, diabetes or were overweight. They were aware of what they needed to do to keep healthy, including exercise and diet.

People generally had a good understanding of what makes a healthy diet.  In terms of exercise, the most common response was walking.

The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on this group included isolation, stress, increased unhealthy eating and a decrease in physical activity.

Some of the challenges the group faced in eating healthily included the cost of healthy food and having to use food banks. People gave suggestions as to what might help, including support with healthy meal planning, more affordable food, and availability of cultural foods.

Barriers to regular exercise included fears of Covid-19, concerns about the cost and lack of time. They felt that maintaining a routine, linking up with friends, and developing self-discipline could help with exercise. Some wanted single sex sessions in organised settings.

People cited a number of barriers to seeking advice and support with living a healthy life, including language, negative attitudes held by those from whom they are seeking support (eg GPs) and being worried that their cultural needs would not be addressed.

They wanted to see the following improvements:

• Trying different cultural foods and learning more about healthy cooking
• Creating more sports events to make exercising more fun as a community
• Creating social events to help people integrate into society
• Improving language and communication skills
• Providing job and training skills

The report contains 4 recommendations