Exploring Cultural Food Security and Dietary Acculturation Among Congolese Immigrants Living in the Northeastern U.S.: A Photovoice Study

Background: Despite growing recognition of culturally appropriate food for promoting health equity, research on cultural food security remains limited. This study explored the experiences and perceptions of cultural food security among Congolese adult immigrants and elicited their insights on improving it in the context of dietary acculturation. Methods: We used photovoice, a participatory research method. In 2025, participants residing in New Hampshire, U.S., were trained to take photographs depicting post-immigration dietary experiences that were then shared in five in-person focus groups. Reflexive thematic analysis was employed to analyze focus group transcripts. Results: Seventeen Congolese adults discussed how cultural food security was understood and sustained in everyday life. Themes showed that cultural food security extended beyond access to culturally familiar foods, emphasizing freshness, from-scratch preparation, food production, and hybrid cultural food practices. Participants described navigating food environments through collective knowledge and selective cohesion, with caregivers adapting family foodways amid time, labor and institutional constraints. Needs identified by participants included structural investments for community well-being, strengthened social networks, and more inclusive school food environments. Findings show that perceptions of cultural food security are diverse. Uneven access to and selective engagement with community resources shape opportunities for cultural food security, underscoring the need for equity-oriented, rights-based approaches.