ABSTRACT
Increased life expectancy in Australia and other developed countries highlights the need for health promotion focused on chronic disease prevention and improvements in quality of life. The links between overweight and obesity and a range of chronic illnesses are well established. In Australia, the proportion of people who are overweight and obese is increasing, and 28 percent of the population is reported to be obese. The mean age of participants was 69 years. Five participants had completed undergraduate university courses in the former Soviet Union, seven had completed post-secondary technical or vocational courses, and one had completed primary education. Most participants explained that food insecurity in Ukraine contributed to unhealthy eating habits. The seasonality of some fruits and vegetables and lack of imported fresh products resulted in people eating a lot of fruits when they were available. Ukrainian immigrants aged 50 years and over had low levels of health literacy upon immigration and followed unhealthy eating diets.
