title: Weight-loss practices, nutrition beliefs, and weight-loss program preferences of urban American Indian women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe health beliefs, weight concern, dieting practices, and weight-loss program preferences of American Indian women residing in an urban setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Face-to-face interviews using a semistructured questionnaire were conducted and height and weight were measured.
  
  
  METHODS
  Subjects were 203 American Indian adult women in an urban community setting.
  
  
  METHODS
  Frequency distributions and chi 2 analysis were performed using the Statistical Analysis System software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About two-thirds of the subjects were overweight. Most women were concerned about obesity and reported attempting to manage their weight. Healthful weight-loss practices (e.g., eating more fruits and vegetables, increasing physical activity) were used most frequently. However, unhealthful practices, such as skipping meals/fasting, using laxatives/diuretics, and self-induced vomiting were also mentioned. Regular bingeing was reported by 10% of respondents.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Weight-management intervention efforts should focus on helping clients modify their diet and physical activity patterns. Low-cost programs offered in convenient locations would attract more participants, as would the provision of child care. Education about the dangers and ineffectiveness of unhealthful weight-loss practices will be necessary, given the high rates of such behaviors in this population.
authors.affiliation: Division of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55454, USA.
authors.forename: N E
authors.initials: NE
authors.lastname: Sherwood
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Harnack
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Story
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D004032:Diet; D004522:Educational Status; D004651:Employment; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American; D007389:Internal-External Control; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D017533:Marital Status; D008875:Middle Aged; D008910:Minnesota; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014505:Urban Population; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*