Date of Conferral

2022

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Health

Advisor

Raymond Panas

Abstract

Obesity has reached an epidemic level of 75 million obese adults and 15 million obese children in the United States. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of information on how obese people manage their weight-loss strategies to prevent or reduce obesity during shut-in place restrictions for the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study included the Prochaska and DiClemente Trans-Theoretical Model of Behavioral Change and the Stage of Change Theory. The phenomenon approach using phenomenology described participants' lived experiences of being obese. The researcher completed data collection and evaluation among sixteen participants using email questionnaires to analyze participant's responses to answer research questions on the lived experiences of African American adult women in Horn Lake, MS. Findings and recommendations from the study indicated the impact the COVID-19 Pandemic had on the African American population for participants in Horn Lake, MS is due to limited access to healthy and fresh foods, supply chain disruption, and panic buying. Data showed decreased physical exercise due to the closure of gyms, closure of neighborhood parks, and cancellation of sports and other activities increased obesity rates. Future recommendations from the study should include researchers interviewing a more significant number of obese people to assess the relative prevalence of the general population to understand how obese people increase the risk of severe illness because of the COVID-19 virus. This study can influence positive social change through educational awareness programs by helping public health officials educate African American women on obesity and the COVID-19 virus to help the community better self-manage their health during COVID-19.

Download

Share

 
COinS