Abstract
Background and Purpose: The prevalence of youth obesity has increased dramatically in the United States, becoming a severe concern in Hawai`i and disproportionally impacting Filipino youth. The main study objective was to describe the influence of parents and friends on adolescents’ dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors. Methods: We collected quantitative and qualitative data from two classrooms in Hawai`i, from ethnic minority adolescents (N=42; 11th and 12th graders) and their parents (N=31). Participating adolescents were 86% female with a mean age of 16.5 + .6 years, and their parents were 77% female with a mean age of 45.9 + 6.9 years. The majority of participants described themselves as Filipino American. Self-report data were collected via adolescent surveys and follow-up group discussion, as well as individual adolescent-led parent interviews. Quantitative data were descriptive, and qualitative data were conceptualized into underlying themes based on the targeted health behavior and the source of influence (parents and friends). Results: The majority of students reported parents as the dominant influence on their dietary and sedentary behaviors; however, friends were reported as the principal influence on adolescents’ physical activity levels. Parents’ reported a strong dietary influence via home availability, but minimal influence on adolescents’ physical activity. Conclusion: Home food availability and reduced television time are prime targets for family-based interventions among ethnic minority Hawai`ian populations.
Highlights
There has been a dramatic rise in the prevalence of youth obesity in the United States (US) (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010), demonstrating strong association with adverse health outcomes (Daniels, 2006) and healthrelated costs
Obesity is largely a consequence of energy imbalance generating from increased energy intake and/or decreased energy expenditure, with relation to dietary habits (Nicklas, Yang, Baranowski, Zakeri, & Berenson, 2003), physical activity, and sedentary behavior (Berkey, Rockett, Gillman, & Colditz, 2003; Janssen, Katzmarzyk, Boyce, Vereecken, Mulvihill, et al, 2005)
The current manuscript is the first investigation of multiple health behaviors among Filipino-American youth, a population that will inevitably be designated high priority for public health research in the future
Summary
There has been a dramatic rise in the prevalence of youth obesity in the United States (US) (Ogden, Carroll, Curtin, Lamb, & Flegal, 2010), demonstrating strong association with adverse health outcomes (Daniels, 2006) and healthrelated costs. The main study objective was to describe the influence of parents and friends on adolescents’ dietary, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors. Methods: We collected quantitative and qualitative data from two classrooms in Hawaii, from ethnic minority adolescents (N=42; 11th and 12th graders) and their parents (N=31). Quantitative data were descriptive, and qualitative data were conceptualized into underlying themes based on the targeted health behavior and the source of influence (parents and friends). Results: The majority of students reported parents as the dominant influence on their dietary and sedentary behaviors; friends were reported as the principal influence on adolescents’ physical activity levels. Parents’ reported a strong dietary influence via home availability, but minimal influence on adolescents’ physical activity. Conclusion: Home food availability and reduced television time are prime targets for family-based interventions among ethnic minority Hawaiian populations
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