The Lived Experiences of Obese African American Women Engaged in Emotional Eating

Date of Conferral

10-26-2023

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Human Services

Advisor

Kelly Chermack

Abstract

Obesity can cause alarming consequences for individuals of any age. In the United States, obesity rates among African American women in rural environments are disproportionately higher than those of White Americans and other ethnic groups who reside in urban environments. Consequently, African American women living in rural environments experience poorer health outcomes than their urban counterparts because of higher rates of obesity, poverty, socio-cultural influences, and lower education levels. This study employed a hermeneutic, phenomenological design to explore the lived experiences of obese African American women who reside in rural environments and their coping strategies with socio-cultural norms (e.g., family traditions, economic conditions, culturally specific behaviors, rurality) and stress-related emotional eating. Semi-structured interviews were conducted among eight women. The interview data collected from this study were transcribed, coded in NVivo 11 software, and then analyzed using Colaizzi’s method, a seven-step descriptive phenomenological approach. This study identified five themes regarding stress-related emotional eating. The findings from this study revealed the participants’ daily experiences with stress from family, work, school, finances, and weight gain, and provided in-depth information about their stress-related emotional eating. The social implications of this study are important to help improve the awareness of healthcare practitioners and policymakers regarding stress-related emotional eating and implement strategies i.e., health care interventions, mental health, and employment policies to help reduce the disproportionally higher rates of obesity among African American women who reside in rural environments.

This item is not available through Walden resources

Share

 
COinS