The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #39142

Tom Baranowski, PhD, Janice C. Baranowski, MPH, RD, LD, and Karen W. Cullen, DrPH, RD, LD. Pediatrics/Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, 1100 ,Bates St, Houston, TX 77030, 713-798-6762, tbaranow@bcm.tmc.edu

Obesity is a particularly salient problem among female African American youth, but little is known about its behavioral or social etiology, or how best to help people change. Since part of the intervention involved the internet, girls were recruited to be African-American, 8 to 10 years of age, between 50th and 95th age specific percentile (high risk for obesity) and have a computer and access to the internet at home. Ninety-three girls and 89 of their parents were recruited to participate in focus group discussions. Focus group questions were based on social cognitive theory and concerned correlates of and ways to increase fruit, juice, vegetable and water consumption and physical activity. Focus groups were conducted by ethnicity matched female dietitians. Staff involved in the design of the intervention attended the focus groups as possible. Summaries were done of issues raised in the focus groups by topic, and category of participant. The two focus group leaders attended most intervention development meetings. The approach to intervention included four conceptual issues for each of the behaviors: 1) increase preference or liking for the behavior; 2) increase skills in performing the behavior; 3) increase availability and accessibility of the behaviors at home by increasing child asking behaviors; and 4) do goal setting for all the above. The summer camp included a day-by-day curriculum of theory based games and fun participative activities. Internet components were developed for the girls and separately for their parents. The design of this intervention was enormously enhanced by the obtaining information from focus groups.

Funded by NIH/NHLBI: HL 65160, and USDA.

Learning Objectives:

• -to be able to report the influences on girls diet and physical activity behaviors
• -to be able to report the likely methods for changing dietary and physiocal activity behaviors
• -to be able to report how this information was used in the design of the GEMS-Baylor obesity prevention intervention

Keywords: Obesity, Prevention

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.