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The Meaning of Weight: A Big Way of Life for Rural Mexican‐American Adolescent Men and Caregivers
Author(s) -
Collins Jennifer L.,
Owen Donna C.,
Champion Jane Dimmitt
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
public health nursing
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.471
H-Index - 55
eISSN - 1525-1446
pISSN - 0737-1209
DOI - 10.1111/phn.12263
Subject(s) - meaning (existential) , psychological intervention , psychology , gerontology , medicine , social psychology , nursing , psychotherapist
Objective To describe the meaning of body weight among rural Mexican‐American adolescents ( RMAA ) and an influential person ( IP ) of their social network. Design and Sample This is qualitative descriptive study. Convenience sampling was used to recruit RMAA seeking care at a rural primary care‐based clinic. Content analysis was used to identify categories and subcategories. Fifteen male adolescents and 14 IP s were interviewed ( n = 29). Measures Individual interviews were conducted using a semi‐structured questionnaire. Results Participants described body weight through family norms, body size, and history of heart disease or diabetes. Cultural scripts were used to describe weight gain, judgment of size, and resource limitations. Conclusions Health care providers must evaluate cultural scripts associated with body size to develop interventions that are derived from the meaning ascribed to weight status rather than simply based on evidence‐based standards. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01387646