Recorded presentation

Kelley De Leeuw, BA¹, Guadalupe X. Ayala, PhD, MPH¹, Sean M. Hanley, MPH Candidate², and Matt M. Griffith, BA³. (1) Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of North Carolina School of Public Health, CB #7440, Rosenau Hall 315, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440, 919-641-9597, deleeuw@email.unc.edu, (2) Department of Health Behavior & Health Education, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, CB#7506, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7506, (3) Department of Health Behavior Health Education, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB# 7440, Rosenau Hall 315, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7440

Understanding environmental influences on dietary and exercise behaviors is necessary when designing effective community interventions. This is especially true among recent immigrant Latinos, who must adapt to new physical and cultural environments in the United States which impact their health. Towards this end, formative research was done with Latino families in North Carolina.

In-depth home interviews were conducted with fourteen Latino families (78.5% Mexican origin; 14 mothers, mean age=40.5, SD=3.8; 14 adolescents, mean age=13.3, SD=1.7, 85.7% female). Mean years living in the United States was 8.0 (SD=3.2) Families completed a cooperative manual mapping activity to identify the family’s daily routes and locations of dietary and exercise influence in their environment. Subsequently, eight adolescents photographed these influences. Grocery store shopping observations were conducted with a second group of families.

Worksites, schools, grocery stores, restaurants, churches and city parks were commonly represented in the maps. Super Wal-mart was identified most often (78.6%) as the primary source for groceries. Buffet restaurants (American or Chinese) ranked as the family’s favorite restaurant (64.3%). A majority identified city parks (71.4%) and churches (57.1%) as locations they frequent weekly. Many adolescents (64.3%) participated in organized sports. BMI data and grocery store food selection strategies will also be discussed. Families appeared to follow well-established patterns of navigating their environments.

All families identified dietary and exercise influences in their community through the mapping activity. Identified sites merit further investigation in cooperation with the Latino community for possible dietary and exercise interventions.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe the process of engaging families in an interactive environmental mapping activity.
• Identify three environmental influences on Latino families within the context of a grocery store.
• Discuss how Latino families interact with their environment and where they view healthy and unhealthy influences in their community.

Keywords: Latino Health, Physical Activity

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.

Recorded presentation