Development and implementation of a visual card-sorting technique for assessing food and activity preferences and patterns in African American girls.
OBJECTIVE
Card-sorting tasks for assessing food and activity preferences and patterns among African American girls were developed. Associations among food preference and intake frequency, activity preference and frequency, and body mass index were examined.


METHODS
Participants completed newly developed card-sorting tasks assessing food and activity preferences and patterns. Height and weight were measured.


METHODS
Ninety-six 8- to 10-year-old African American girls from schools and community centers in Minneapolis-St. Paul.


METHODS
Preference and frequency data for 64 foods/beverages and 34 activities.


METHODS
Frequencies for food and activity preference and frequency categories were computed. Pearson correlations among food and activity preference, frequency, and body mass index were computed.


RESULTS
High-sugar (eg, fruit drinks, soda) and/or high-fat (eg, ice cream, cookies) foods were among the most popular and frequently consumed. Ninety-six percent of girls liked fruit drinks, with 35% consuming them "almost every day." Less-structured activities such as biking, games, jump rope, and dance were most popular. Biking was preferred by 85% of girls, with 48% biking "almost every day." Food preference and frequency categories were moderately correlated (r=0.30 to 0.58), as were activity preference and frequency (r=0.37 to 0.49).


CONCLUSIONS
The card-sorting tasks are useful tools for assessing food and activity preferences and patterns in girls. Obesity prevention programs for African American girls should include preferred activities such as dance, jump rope, and active play. Programs may also benefit from a focus on replacing high fat/high sugar snacks and sweetened beverages with low-fat, lower-calorie snacks and beverages (eg, fruit, vegetables, water).
Division of Epidemiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis 55454, USA. sherwood@epi.umn.edu
Nancy E
NE
Sherwood
Mary
M
Story
Dianne
D
Neumark-Sztainer
Sarah
S
Adkins
Marsha
M
Davis
D001741:Black or African American; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D005260:Female; D005518:Food Preferences / Q000208:ethnology*; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats