Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Psychology
Advisor
Jacqueline Cook-Jones
Abstract
February 2022 Abstract In the United States, 17% of children between the ages of two to 19 years are diagnosed with obesity more than any other chronic health condition. African American children living in the United States have an obesity rate of 22% compared to White children who have an obesity rate of 14.1%. These high obesity rates created situations in which these children are likely to experience significant lifelong health problems. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative phenomenological study was to describe the experiences of African American parents of low-income managing weight-loss in their young children with obesity between the ages of three to ten years old. Engel’s biopsychosocial model was the framework used to explore the experiences of this population. Data was collected from ten participants through semi-structured open-ended interviews over the phone following Giorgi’s five-step data analysis process. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed using hand coding for themes. The results uncovered the following themes: High Fat Consumption, Denial of Obesity, Health Risks Awareness, Fast Food Consumption, Childhood Obesity Awareness, Weight Loss Strategies, Transportation, Healthy Food Cost, Weight loss Participation, Lack of Income, Unsafe Parks, and Traditions. The results of this study have the potential to educate health care professionals about the experiences of this population.
Recommended Citation
Berry, Angela, "Low Income African American Parents Experiences Managing Obese Young Children Weight Loss" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12636.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12636
