A Qualitative Assessment of Weight Control among Rural Kansas Women
Abstract
Objective
To explore weight control beliefs, attitudes, knowledge, and practices among rural Kansas women, and to characterize the relationship of these women with their primary-care providers around weight control.
Design
Qualitative research using focus groups.
Setting
Three separate communities of rural Kansas.
Participants
Six focus groups among 31 women during fall 2006.
Intervention
Two focus groups in each community, each of 2-hour duration. A focus group moderator's guide was used to explore the roles of individuals, primary-care practice teams, and communities around weight control.
Analysis
This study used a qualitative analysis with an iterative process and standard techniques. The analysis team summarized central findings, descriptive topic areas, and general themes.
Results
There were 5 broad themes that emerged from these focus groups. These themes are lack of support from primary-care providers; primary-care offices as community resources; lack of resources for promoting dietary change, but adequate resources for physical activity; the importance of group support and inclusiveness; and a need for more intensive interventions for weight control.
Conclusions and Implications
Rural populations have an above-average prevalence of obesity and related comorbidities. Rural communities need better approaches for addressing the obesity epidemic.
1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
2Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
3Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS
Address for correspondence: Andrea C. Ely, MD, MSc, Department of Internal Medicine, MSN 1020, University of Kansas Medical Center, 3901 Rainbow Blvd, Kansas City, KS 66160; Phone: (913) 588-6087; Fax (913) 588-3877
This work was funded by a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women's Health (BIRCWH) K12 grant to Dr. Ely (University of Kansas Medical Center, PI Drs. Soares and Thomas) and a National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute K23 grant to Dr. Ely (PI, 1 K23HL085125-01A1).
ABSTRACT