180297 Getting the message right for tweens and their parents! Qualitative methods to inform development of strategies to communicate healthy eating messages

Monday, October 27, 2008: 5:15 PM

Barbara Polhamus, PhD, MPH , Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Genevieve Polk, MPH , Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Reba Griffith, MPH , Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA
Junette McWilliams , Center for Applied Behavioral and Evaluation Research, Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC
Ronne Ostby-Malling, MA , Center for Social Marketing and Behavior Change, Academy for Educational Development, Washington, DC
Eating behaviors of tweens (children aged 9-12 years) are influenced by the home food environment (HFE). To understand the HFE, in-home kitchen inventories and in-depth interviews were conducted with female primary food preparers in households with at least one tween. The purpose of this study was to inform development of health communication strategies promoting health eating behaviors among tweens. Participants were recruited from a market research database and screened on food purchasing and preparation behaviors and other screening criteria. Based on responses, women were classified as Doers, those primarily cooking with whole foods and Non-Doers, those primarily using prepared foods. Both groups had similar demographic characteristics. We compared Doers and Non-Doers to determine potential motivators/barriers to making healthy foods accessible to tweens. Trained interviewers collected data in households in two US cities. Inventory data were collected for food storage and preparation areas. Among Doer and Non-Doer, availability of high-sugar breakfast foods and high-fat snack foods were surprisingly similar. Doer households did not allow access to sugar-sweetened beverages. Both segments recognized their influence in creating healthy eating environments for their children; however Non-Doer households allowed children more decision making power around food than Doer households. The HFE approach with a small sample and modest expenditure complements traditional focus groups by providing more in-depth information about the audience. This data will be used to inform subsequent focus groups and development of targeted communication messages related to healthy eating for tweens.

Learning Objectives:
1. Recognize the added-value of small sample, qualitative data collection to inform health communication strategies and messages; 2. Discuss the methodology used to assess the home food environment.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been involved in health communications and formative research for over 2 years at the CDC and have been a primary team member for this project.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.