The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #48965

Shiriki K. Kumanyika, PhD, MPH¹, Mary Story, PhD RD², Bettina M. Beech, DrPH, MPH³, Nancy E. Sherwood, PhD², Janice C. Baranowski, MPH, RD, LD⁴, Karen W. Cullen, DrPH, RD, LD⁴, and Tiffany E. McDonald, MPH⁵. (1) Center for Clinical Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, 8th Floor Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia PA, PA 19104-6021, (215) 898-2629, skumanyi@cceb.med.upenn.edu, (2) Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, 1300 South Second Street, Suite 300, Minneapolis, MN 55454, (3) Center for Community Health, University of Memphis, 5050 Poplar Ave, Suite 1800, Memphis, TN 38157, (4) Pediatrics/Children's Nutrition Research Center, Baylor college of Medicine, 1100 Bates St, Houston, TX 77030, (5) Center for Research in Disease Prevention, Stanford University School of Medicine, 1000 Welch Rd., Palo Alto, CA 94304

The high prevalence of obesity in African American women has been of concern for several decades. The recent steep increase in obesity prevalence in African American girls has intensified this concern and stimulated related prevention research. The Girls Enrichment Multi-Site (GEMS) study will evaluate obesity prevention approaches designed specifically for pre-pubertal (ages 8 to 10) African American girls. A critical objective is for the interventions to have maximum relevance to the unique cultural context for obesity development in this population. Therefore, in the initial stages of program design, each GEMS field center conducted extensive formative research to inform both the design of site-specific interventions and approaches to recruitment and retention of girls and their parents. The development of protocols for qualitative and quantitative formative data collection was guided by a detailed matrix of the potential domains of interest. This matrix was based on a well-defined conceptual framework of psychosocial and cultural influences on obesity and weight gain in African American girls and elaborated through an iterative process involving input from investigators at all sites. The matrix crossed four dependent foci (program, child, family, and environment/situation) with issue categories such as ethnicity, socioeconomic status, general health and lifestyle, food, physical activity, and body image/weight control to prompt for potential data collection topics. These topics were then assigned priorities for formative data collection either locally or across all sites.

Learning Objectives:

• Identify concepts and issues important for formative assessment prior to the development of obesity prevention programs in African American girls

Keywords: African American, Weight Management

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.