title: A pilot study to explore how low-income mothers of different ethnic/racial backgrounds perceive and implement recommended childhood obesity prevention messages.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Mothers often serve as the "gatekeepers" of food and the eating experience for young children in the home. Children of different ethnic/racial groups have different obesity prevalence rates, but little is known about how mothers of these groups interpret or implement common childhood obesity prevention messages. The purpose of this mixed methods pilot study was to explore comprehension and implementation of common childhood obesity prevention messages and to identify feeding styles among low-income mothers of young children.
  
  
  METHODS
  White, black, and Hispanic low-income mothers (n=30) of children ages 3-10 were recruited from Indiana. Mothers were interviewed individually regarding the perception and implementation of eight commonly used nutrition and/or physical activity messages. Other outcomes included the results of the Caregiver Feeding Styles Questionnaire and self-reported weight of mothers and child(ren). Interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis to find common themes among the different ethnic/racial groups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Childhood obesity prevention messages were often interpreted or implemented differently among the different ethnic/racial groups. For example, white mothers cited control as a means to manage a child's weight more often compared to the other racial/ethnic groups, whereas black and Hispanic mothers reported catering to a child's preference more frequently compared to white mothers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The pilot study provides evidence that it may be prudent to tailor nutrition messages to mothers of different ethnic/racial backgrounds during nutrition education.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Science, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA.
authors.forename: Rachel L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Vollmer
authors.forename: Amy R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mobley
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D002648:Child; D002664:Child Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology / Q000592:standards; D004522:Educational Status; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006630:Hispanic or Latino; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009035:Mothers; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016487:Parenting / Q000208:ethnology; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012307:Risk Factors; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People