TITLE:
Qualitative Study among African American Parents to Inform an Intervention to Promote Adoption of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans Food and Physical Activity Recommendations
AUTHORS:
Bernestine B. McGee, Valerie Richardson, Glenda S. Johnson, Crystal Johnson
KEYWORDS:
African American Parents; Culture; Dietary Guidelines Adoption; Cultural Tailoring; Qualitative Study; Knowledge and Perceptions
JOURNAL NAME:
Food and Nutrition Sciences,
Vol.5 No.9,
April
24,
2014
ABSTRACT:
This qualitative
study was conducted to enable the research team to culturally tailor an
intervention to increase adherence to Dietary
Guidelines for Americans (DGA) in
African American parents and their children living in Lower Mississippi Delta
(LMD) communities. Focus group results guided the planning of an obesity
prevention intervention utilizing the We Can! (Ways to Enhance Children’s
Activity and Nutrition) obesity prevention program. Main outcome measure was
perceptions of approaches to use in culturally tailoring a nutrition and
physical activity intervention. Six focus group sessions were conducted with 86
African American adults to identify cultural concerns, intervention
strategies in two Louisiana parishes in the LMD. Focus groups discussions were
audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed to identify recurring trends and
patterns among focus groups. Major themes that emerged included cultural
influences on food habits and physical activity, challenges of meeting the DGA
and the CDC physical activity guidelines, facilitators and barriers to adhering
to healthy food and physical activity guidelines and program development. Wider
acceptance and use of the DGA recommendations are needed by LMD populations,
leading to reduced prevalence of overweight
and obesity and parallel reductions in the prevalence of chronic diseases.
Interventions are needed that will enhance adherence to the DGA particularly
for diverse subpopulations in the U.S. This study provides important insights
for culturally tailoring an intervention to promote adoption of the DGA in
two low-income African American Delta communities.