Nursing Commons^™

Text Messaging As Adjunct To Community Based Weight Management Program, Claudia Bouhaidar

Theses and Dissertations

Obesity ascending rates are still a public health priority. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of tailored text messages on body weight change in overweight and obese adults in a community based weight management program. A secondary aim was to detect behavioral changes in the same population. The study design was quasi-experimental with pre and posttest analysis, conducted over 12 weeks. A total of 28 participants were included in the analysis. Body weight, eating behaviors, exercise and nutrition self-efficacy, attitude toward mobile technology, social support and physical activity were assessed at baseline and at 12 …

Relationship Of Demographic Characteristics And Bmi With Health Literacy In Pacific Islander Care-Giving Adults, Sharla E. Morgan

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Health literacy and obesity are major global issues. Vulnerable populations, such as those with low health literacy, have the highest rates of obesity. Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (NHOPI) nations have the highest prevalence of obesity in the world. This study describes the relationship between health literacy and demographic variables in a sample of NHOPI caregiving adults. Methods: We conducted a correlational study of 364 NHOPI adults. Each was a caregiver of at least one NHOPI child. Data were collected at grocery stores and a preschool in two Hawaiian Islands (n=209) and at NHOPI events in Utah (n=155). …

The Relationship Between Select Demographic Characteristics And Body Mass Index Among Native Hawaiian And Other Pacific Islander Caregiving Adults, Katrina Duncan

Theses and Dissertations

Purpose: Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islanders (NHOPIs) have the highest prevalence of overweight and obesity in the world. This study identified the proportion of our NHOPI sample in each body mass index (BMI) category and explored relationships between demographic characteristics and BMI. Design: This descriptive correlational study included 364 NHOPI caregiver adults in Utah (n=155) and Hawaii (n=209). We gathered demographic information with a questionnaire. Height and weight were measured for BMI calculations. Results: According to the CDC's BMI categories, 84.3% of our sample was overweight (BMI=25.0-29.9) or obese (BMI ≥30). Participants in Utah had significantly higher BMIs than …

Parenting Behaviors Of African American And Caucasian Families: Parent And Child Perceptions, Associations With Child Weight And Ability To Identify Abnormal Weight Status, Michele Polfuss, Marilyn Frenn

College of Nursing Faculty Research and Publications

This study examined the agreement between parent and child perceptions of parenting behaviors, the relationship of the behaviors with the child's weight status, and the ability of the parent to correctly identify weight status in 176 parent–child dyads (89 Caucasian and 87 African American). Correlational and regression analyses were used. Findings included moderate to weak correlations in child and parent assessments of parenting behaviors. Caucasian dyads had higher correlations than African American dyads. Most parents correctly identified their own and their child's weight status. Parents of overweight children used increased controlling behaviors, but the number of controlling behaviors decreased when …

Obesity Trends In Head Start Preschoolers, Anna Sanders

Honors Theses

The purpose of this natural comparative study is to see if changes in diet, education, and activity made in a South Mississippi Head Start (HS) preschool from Fall 2007 through Fall 2010 made any changes in the Body Mass Index (BMI) trends in two cohorts of low-income African American 3-year-olds. Cohort 1 BMI trends were measured in Fall 2006 and Spring 2007, before major HS changes in diet, education and activity were made (pre-treatment), and Cohort 2 was measured in Fall 2010 and Spring 2011, after major changes were made (post-treatment).

Associations Of Cardiorespiratory Fitness And Fatness With Metabolic Syndrome In Rural Women With Prehypertension., Patricia A. Hageman, Carol H. Pullen, Melody A. Hertzog, Linda S. Boeckner, Susan Noble Walker

Journal Articles: Physical Therapy

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the associations of fitness and fatness with metabolic syndrome in rural women, part of a recognized US health disparities group.

METHODS: Fitness, percentage body fat, BMI, and metabolic syndrome criteria were assessed at baseline in 289 rural women with prehypertension, ages 40-69, enrolled in a healthy eating and activity community-based clinical trial for reducing blood pressure.

RESULTS: Ninety (31%) women had metabolic syndrome, of which 70% were obese by BMI (≥30 kg/m²), 100% by percentage body fat (≥30%), and 100% by revised BMI standards (≥25 kg/m²) cited in current literature. Hierarchical logistic regression models, adjusted for …

A Phenomenological Study Of Obesity And Its Impact On Functional Status, Life-Space Mobility, And Physical Activity In Southern African American Older Women, Pamela G. Bowen

All ETDs from UAB

The majority of work on health disparities has focused on public policy and identifying disparate conditions. Obesity is a significant public health problem that has reached epidemic proportions, considered the second leading cause of preventable death, encourages a sedentary lifestyle, and can lead to a higher prevalence of functional impairments. Moreover, obesity increases the risk that persons may develop one or more serious medical conditions, such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, stroke, Type 2 diabetes, and osteoarthritis, especially among African Americans. In the United States, African American women are more likely to be classified as overweight or obese. In fact, approximately …

Socioeconomic Patterning Of Obesity Among African American Women In The Jackson Heart Study, Tonya Moore

All ETDs from UAB

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to expand upon what has been observed in literature about obesity and its ties to socioeconomic status (SES) among African American Women (AAW) participants of the Jackson Heart Study (JHS). Methods: This secondary analysis was a sub-study of the JHS and focused on four SES variables: education, income, occupation and wealth; and five outcome variables: body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), visceral adipose tissue (VAT), and subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT). Two analytic samples were created in order to examine data collected during Exam 1 (2000-2004) and Exam 2 (2005-2008). …

Overweight And Obesity Among White, Black, And Mexican American Children: Implications For When To Intervene, Janice Long, Nicole Mareno, Rebecca Shabo, Astrid Wilson

Nicole Mareno