Abstract
The purpose of this study (part of a larger study) was to identify similarities and differences in the body image attitudes of African-American and Afro-Caribbean immigrant women, thereby exploring whether differentiated obesity-related message designs are indicated. This qualitative study was guided by social cognitive theory and an interpretive phenomenological approach. Textual analysis Identified themes and conceptual relationships in the in-depth interview data, collected from a combination (convenience and snowball) sample of 25 participants. Despite many obesity messages and interventions, the prevalence of obesity and associated chronic diseases in African-American women remains the highest among all population groups in the US. We also now know that obesity worsened during COVID-19. Despite calls for culturally sensitive message designs, most obesity-related interventions and messaging target the African-American female population as a homogeneous group. This undifferentiated approach ignores cultural and other differences among members of the subgroups that comprise this population. This study was therefore designed to identify cultural differences between African-American women born and raised in the US and Afro-Caribbean immigrant women to determine (1) whether there is value in differentiating the obesity messages targeting these subgroups (2) some salient issues, which, if incorporated at the design stage, may result in more effective messages for each group.
Presenters
Melany ChambersVisiting Assistant Professor, Communication, Oglethorpe University, Georgia, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
Health Promotion and Education
KEYWORDS
Health Promotion, Obesity, Message Design, African-American Women, Immigrant Health
