OBESITY INTERVENTION AMONG AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
Section snippets
WHY TARGET?
In designing health interventions for ethnic or sociodemographic subpopulations, there are two key issues to consider: why target, and why tailor? The rationale for targeting subpopulations for health programs is based largely on epidemiologic differences in disease and risk-factor prevalence rates. The case for targeting obesity prevention and treatment programs for African-American youth is compelling.
Although obesity has increased in all racial and ethnic groups over the past 30 years, the
WHY TAILOR?
The epidemiologic differences cited earlier provide the rationale for targeting African-American youth for obesity intervention. Once a population is identified as warranting intervention, a next step is determining how such programs and messages should be tailored to meet the needs of the target group.
Tailoring interventions for ethnic populations can be conceptualized in terms of two primary dimensions: surface structure and deep structure tailoring (see reference48 for a more detailed
Sociocultural Influences
African Americans seem to possess a different standard of physical beauty and ideal body image than do whites. Adult and adolescent African Americans prefer fuller body types than do whites. They report a higher ideal body weight and are more likely to be satisfied with their weight, even when they are statistically overweight, than white women. They also seem to exhibit less shame about what they eat and impose fewer restrictions on their eating than their white counterparts.6, 14, 35, 42, 54
REVIEW OF PUBLISHED OBESITY PREVENTION PROGRAMS FOR AFRICAN-AMERICAN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS
There are few published studies of interventions designed to prevent or treat obesity among African-American children and adolescents. Most pediatric obesity interventions to date have been conducted in white populations.17, 18 The available literature among African Americans is variable with regard to the target population (children, adolescents, obese, and normal weight), intervention components (weight control, physical activity, and health education), intervention settings (school, clinic,
CURRENT RESEARCH AND FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Although the published intervention research in this area is currently thin, numerous ongoing studies are being conducted that will greatly expand the knowledge base. A review of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Computer Retrieval of Information on Scientific Projects (CRISP) database indicated at least nine currently funded research studies that are designed to develop and test obesity prevention and intervention programs for African-American youth.
One of these studies is the Go Girls!
SUMMARY
Often, researchers and clinicians approach the African-American community from a deficit model with African Americans viewed as having less desirable health practices and higher disease risk; however, in developing interventions for African Americans, it is important to keep in mind positive aspects of black culture as they relate to obesity. For example, the cultural acceptance of a larger body type and less negative views toward overweight individuals need not be viewed as problematic or
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2012, Contemporary Clinical TrialsCitation Excerpt :In contrast to previous research in the field, NOURISH addresses several urgent research priorities by targeting the underserved and addressing the significant disparity in obesity treatment services. African American children are at particularly high risk for overweight and its related health complications [65,27,22]. However, this ethnic group has traditionally had limited access to obesity treatment [34] and relatively few studies have included sufficient numbers of lower-SES, African American participants.
Representation of ideal figure size in Ebony magazine: A content analysis
2011, Body ImageCitation Excerpt :Some researchers have concluded that these messages may contribute to increases in dieting behavior and the development of eating disorder symptoms (Luff & Gray, 2009; Wiseman et al., 1992). However, education concerning weight loss and diet—particularly when the content is factually correct and evidence-based—is also observed to inform healthy lifestyle decisions (Campo & Mastin, 2007; Duerksen et al., 2005; Luff & Gray, 2009) and may be particularly important in the context of an obesity health crisis (Baskin et al., 2001; Crawford et al., 2001). Further research is needed regarding the context and content of recent articles, and the direct impact of these articles on the attitudes and behaviors of readers.
Childhood obesity: A school-based approach to increase nutritional knowledge and activity levels
2005, Nursing Clinics of North AmericaCitation Excerpt :The CDC guidelines for children aged 6 to 19 years were followed so that a BMI that fell in the 85th to 94th percentile indicated a child “at risk for overweight.” Overweight or obesity was defined as at or above the sex- and age-specific 95th percentile of BMI based on CDC Growth Charts [18]. Some researchers use the term “childhood obesity,” whereas others feel the term may be too stigmatizing when describing children.
Body mass index and breast cancer risk in African American women
2005, Annals of EpidemiologyCitation Excerpt :Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (18) showed that African American women had a higher prevalence of overweight (BMI 25–30) and obesity (BMI ⩾ 30) than Caucasian women and the increase in the prevalence of obesity over time was more striking in African American women. It has also been shown that the prevalence of obesity among African American women was approximately twice that of Caucasian women during the three decades from 1960 to 1990 and the greatest increase in obesity across all racial and ethnic groups of adolescents from 1970 to 2000 was among African American females (21, 22). Since obesity is modifiable, the elucidation of whether BMI is associated with breast cancer risk has important implications in public health.
Better health indicators of FitSpirit participants meeting 24-h movement guidelines for Canadian children and youth
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Address reprint requests to Monica L. Baskin, PhD Department of Behavioral Science and Health Education Rollins School of Public Health 1518 Clifton Road Atlanta, GA 30322 e-mail: [email protected]
Development of this manuscript was supported by the National Institutes of Health/National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant no. HL-62659 (KR).