A Qualitative Study for Understanding Family and Peer Influences on Obesity-Related Health Behaviors in Low-Income African-American Adolescents

Abstract

Background: Given the cultural and developmental relevance of family members and peers in the lives of African-American adolescents, the present study used a bioecological framework to qualitatively explore the parenting context as well as specific family factors (support, rules, monitoring) and peer factors (support) related to weight status, physical activity (PA), and healthy eating in low-income African-American boys versus girls.Methods: Qualitative data were obtained from African-American adolescents through focus groups. Adolescents (n = 45, 100% African American, 51% girls, 12.6 ± 1.2 years, 51% overweight/obese) were from two underserved communities in South Carolina (median income ≈$17,000-$22,000, high crime levels). Sessions were audiotaped, transcribed, and coded by independent pairs of raters (r = 0.75). QSR NVivo 8 was used to analyze data, and themes were categorized separately for boys and girls.Results: Adolescents reported themes of family warmth and control practices consistent with an authoritative style of parenting. Although adolescents wanted increased autonomy, they viewed parental monitoring as a favorable part of their relationship. boys reported receiving more constructive feedback from parents about weight status and greater overall support for PA and diet than did girls. Girls reported more honest feedback from peers about weight status than did boys. Overall, adolescents acknowledged the unique opportunities of parents and peers in improving their health behaviors.Conclusions: Findings suggest parents and peers interact in different ways with African-American boys and girls regarding their weight status and health behaviors. Future obesity prevention efforts in minority youth may need to target parenting skills that provide greater support to African-American girls. in addition, given peers influence PA and diet differently in boys and girls, interventions should strategically include parenting strategies that involve monitoring peer-adolescent interactions.

Preferred intervention strategies to improve dietary and physical activity behaviors among African‐American mothers and daughters

“…Overall, the daughters and mothers were receptive to having a dietary and PA intervention that included both members of the dyad. St George and Wilson () conducted four focus groups with African‐American adolescents in which girls identified communication, problem solving, and engaging in activities together with their parents as the best part of their relationships. In their integrative review, Reed et al.…”

“…One study of 4,746 females and males 11–18 years of age, of whom 18% were African‐American, reported that the number of meals eaten with the family was positively linked with the intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and calcium‐rich foods, and negatively correlated with increased soft drink consumption (Neumark‐Sztainer, Hannan, Story, Croll, & Perry, ). St George and Wilson () conducted four all‐female and five all‐male focus groups with adolescents and reported that girls and boys both identified parental monitoring and family interaction (i.e., communication, problem solving, and engaging in activities together) as important in encouraging healthy eating and PA.…”

Successful weight loss initiation and maintenance among adolescents with overweight and obesity: does age matter?

“…Furthermore, some noted that their weight‐related concerns and/or desire to lose weight increased as they aged, which they attributed to a general increase in maturity and acceptance of responsibility for their weight status . Two other studies suggest that as teens age and the teen‐parent dynamic changes, the responsibility for the teen's weight status shifts, with teens reporting increased self‐blame and parents accepting less responsibility . These studies provide important insights into developmental differences related to adolescents’ weight loss and maintenance motivations, as well as the role of parents in these efforts.…”

“…Work from several qualitative studies provides preliminary evidence of the importance of age differences in adolescents’ weight loss efforts . In two studies with successful adolescent and young adult weight losers, participants noted that weight loss primarily was self‐initiated .…”

Impact of mobile apps to combat obesity in children and adolescents: A systematic literature review

“…Perceptions of social support from both parents and peers have been associated with altered behaviors such as increasing physical activity and improving health behaviors (Brunet et al., ; St. George & Wilson, ). Social support from the presence of a friend has been shown to motivate increased participation in physical activity (Salvy et al., ).…”