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Publication: Environmental, social, and structural constraints for health behavior: Perceptions of young urban black women during the preconception period-a healthy life trajectories initiative
Ware, L.J Prioreschi, A Bosire, E Cohen, E Draper, C Lye, S.J Norris, S.A
Ware, L.J
Prioreschi, A
Bosire, E
Cohen, E
Draper, C
Lye, S.J
Norris, S.A
Abstract
Objective
Obesity and noncommunicable disease are rapidly increasing in sub-Saharan Africa. Prevention efforts are critical, particularly for women before conception to maximize intergenerational effects. The authors sought to examine perceptions of health and everyday factors that influenced nutrition, exercise, and other health behaviors to inform a novel community preconception intervention.
Design
Four focus groups, each with 6–10 participants, were conducted using semistructured interview guides.
Setting
Urban Soweto, South Africa.
Participants
Young nulliparous women aged 18–24 years were recruited using snowball sampling.
Phenomenon of Interest
Health behaviors of young women and barriers and facilitators to these behaviors.
Analysis
After inductive thematic analysis, data were further interpreted within the theoretical framework of the Behavior Change Wheel.
Results
The data suggested an obesogenic environment in which structural and social factors strongly influenced young women's health choices and limited their capacity for behavior change.
Conclusions and Implications
Community interventions to improve young women's diet, physical activity, and health should recognize (1) the home and social contexts as a source of both role models and barriers to change, (2) the current normalization of obesity, and (3) contextual issues of safety and violence within the community. Understanding young women who overcome these barriers could be beneficial.
Description
Date
2019
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Collections
Research Projects
Organizational Units
Journal Issue
Keywords
Body size,Diet,Exercise,Health behavior,Food
Citation
Ware LJ, Prioreschi A, Bosire E, Cohen E, Draper C, Lye SJ, Norris SA . Environmental, social, and structural constraints for health behavior: Perceptions of young urban black women during the preconception period-a healthy life trajectories initiative. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2019 May 15. doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2019.04.009