The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #43924

Nancy E Fritz, MD¹, Shonta L. Corbin, BA¹, Christiane E. Stahl, MD², Nike Mourikes, MD¹, and Mary Driscoll, RN, MPH³. (1) Pediatrics/Adolescent Medicine, Cook County ACHN, 1900 W. Polk St, Rm 1114, Chicago, IL 60612, (2) Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois at Chicago, 840 S. Wood St., M/C 856, Chicago, IL 60612, (3) Cook County Bureau of Health Services, ACHN, 1835 W. Harrison St, Chicago, IL 60612

Type 2 diabetes (DM), on the rise in obese adolescents, is disproportionately prevalent among African-Americans and Latinos. During the planning phase of a larger project to address DM risks through behavioral intervention in the school-based health center, 6 focus groups were conducted at three urban high schools in Illinois in fall, 2001. Two of the schools are predominately African-American, one predominately Mexican-American. Three groups were composed of students, the other three of parents, guardians, or other adult community members. Groups were audiotaped. A group leader, matched for ethnicity, summarized group responses. Investigators jointly analyzed tapes and summaries for recurrent themes. Seventy participants responded to questions about 1) participants’ experience with healthy eating, physical activity, and weight loss, 2) resources in the school and community supportive of healthy eating and physical activity, and 3) participants’ suggestions for interventions. Themes which emerged in all groups were 1) discouraged feelings regarding participants’ individual ability to change but an associated desire for support from other sources (community, school, health center, families), 2) multiple statements indicating denial of need to change, 3) misinformation about what constitute healthy dietary changes.

Learning Objectives: Objectives

1)Identify promoters of and barriers to achieving healthier eating and physical activity patterns,
• Examine differences between youth and adult, African-American and Latino participants
• Understand participants’ views on community, school and health center resources,
• Examine the role of diabetes concerns in making changes in eating and physical activity.

Keywords: Adolescent Health, Obesity

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.