title: Support needs of overweight African American women for weight loss.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine social support needs of obese and overweight African American women for weight loss.
  
  
  METHODS
  Focus groups were conducted with overweight and obese African American women. Data were analyzed using standard grounded theory text analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our middle-aged (45.7 years; SD = 12.6) women (N = 66) were interested in receiving support from others focused on the health benefits of weight loss. Behaviors perceived as supportive include co-participating in exercise, providing nutrition education, using positive reinforcements, and avoiding criticism.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  African American women are interested in a program designed to increase social support for their weight loss.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota, Department of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA. jthomas@umn.edu
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Diana W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Ian M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Lynam
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Daley
authors.forename: Christie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Befort
authors.forename: Robyn M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Scherber
authors.forename: Andrea E
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Mercurio
authors.forename: Kolawole S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Okuyemi
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008923:Missouri; D050177:Overweight; D011203:Poverty; D012944:Social Support; D015431:Weight Loss