Cultural immersion: Embedding Torres Strait Islander (Melanesian) history, culture, diet and health in dietetics curricula

Bobby Porykali; Genus Passi; Anna Rangan; Margaret Allman-Farinelli; Juliana Chen; Lucy Egelton; Margaret Nicholson; Merryl Ireland; Jacquelin Vidor; Jacqueline W S Chan; Michelle Dickson; Alyse Davies

doi:10.1111/1747-0080.70026

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Cultural immersion: Embedding Torres Strait Islander (Melanesian) history, culture, diet and health in dietetics curricula

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Cultural immersion: Embedding Torres Strait Islander (Melanesian) history, culture, diet and health in dietetics curricula

Bobby Porykali, Genus Passi, Anna Rangan, Margaret Allman-Farinelli, Juliana Chen, Lucy Egelton, Margaret Nicholson, Merryl Ireland, Jacquelin Vidor, Jacqueline W S Chan, …

Nutrition and Dietetics, Vol.82(5), pp.549-560

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1747-0080.70026

PMCID: PMC12583901

PMID: 40640101

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Abstract

pedagogies

Torres Strait Islander

dietetics

cultural immersion

UniSC Diversity Area - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Engagement

Aims To describe a Torres Strait (Melanesian) cultural immersion delivered to dietetics students at a large university in Australia and to understand whether cultural immersion supports the development of students' knowledge and skills in relation to specific Dietitians Australia performance criteria. Methods The cultural immersion was co-designed, analysed, and reported through an iterative process with a Torres Strait immersion educator from the Eastern Islands, a First Nations researcher, and a dietetics academic. The cultural immersion included an opening ceremony, four station rotations of creation stories through weaving; food preparation; artefacts and cultural dance; and yarning about health, as well as a closing ceremony. A mixed methods approach was used. Data from pre- and post-surveys were analysed with Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test or paired t-test, and integrated with the thematic analysis of focus group interviews to provide context, depth and perspectives. Results Forty-eight students completed pre- and post-surveys, and 25 participated in focus groups. Through working at the knowledge interface, students' general knowledge on Torres Strait Islander history, culture, diet and health increased (all p < 0.001). The cultural immersion supported the development of competence through reframing the narrative and experiential learning, impacted their journey as dietitians by promoting reflection, and increased their perceived confidence in working with Torres Strait Islander populations in a health setting. Conclusions This cultural immersion enriched dietetics students' understanding of Torres Strait Islander history, culture, diet, and health. Cultural immersion is one teaching method that can be used within an integrated suite of education strategies to support the development of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health competencies.

Details

Title: Cultural immersion: Embedding Torres Strait Islander (Melanesian) history, culture, diet and health in dietetics curricula
Authors: Bobby Porykali - The George Institute for Global Health
Genus Passi - NAMU Consultancy (Australia)
Anna Rangan - The University of Sydney
Margaret Allman-Farinelli - The University of Sydney
Juliana Chen - The University of Sydney
Lucy Egelton - The University of Sydney
Margaret Nicholson - The University of Sydney
Merryl Ireland - The University of Sydney
Jacquelin Vidor - The University of Sydney
Jacqueline W S Chan - The University of Sydney
Michelle Dickson - The University of Sydney
Alyse Davies (Corresponding Author) - University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
Publication details: Nutrition and Dietetics, Vol.82(5), pp.549-560
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1111/1747-0080.70026
ISSN: 1747-0080
PMID: 40640101; PMC12583901
Copyright note: © 2025 The Author(s). Nutrition & Dietetics published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Dietitians Australia. This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.
Data Availability: The data that support the findings of this study are available on request from the corresponding author. The data are not publicly available due to privacy or ethical restrictions.
Grant note: Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney (funding for the cultural immersion day).
Organisation Unit: School of Health - Nutrition & Dietetics
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991144504302621
Output Type: Journal article

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Web Of Science research areas: Nutrition & Dietetics

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