Formative research to engage immigrant Latino women in achieving a healthy weight

Design: Qualitative, exploratory study; data were collected in six focus group sessions using a semi-structured questionnaire.

Subjects/Setting: Thirty-three Latina women aged 18 to 44 were recruited at various Women, Infants and Children sites in Los Angeles County. The focus groups were conducted in Spanish.

Analysis: Recurring themes within group discussion were identified by three independent investigators, one who was ethnicity concordant.

Results: Information from this qualitative study demonstrates that immigration to the United States significantly and negatively affects health behaviors. Acculturation diminishes cooking skills and creates a taste for fast foods. Environmental factors become barriers to successful prevention and treatment of overweight. Certain issues such as limited budget and access to fresh food, lack of time, lack of skills and cooking appliances for preparing healthy meals, lack of childcare and lack of access to parks were identified as barriers to adopting healthful behaviors. Participants desired culturally appropriate nutrition education in a group session and reassurance from a health care provider, preferably Spanish-speaking.

Conclusions: Our findings suggest that nutrition education efforts targeting Latino women can be reframed to better address the belief system and cultural framework of the population. Barriers in the physical environment must also be addressed. Health education needs to identify positive eating and physical activity behaviors that can be changed rather than focusing on a person's weight.