title: Environmental factors that impact the eating behaviors of low-income African American adolescents in Baltimore City.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To understand environmental factors influencing the food-related habits of low-income urban African American adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  Qualitative research was conducted between February and April, 2010, using in-depth interviews, focus groups, and direct observation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in low-income, predominantly African American neighborhoods of Baltimore City.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 20 adolescents were interviewed in 18 in-depth interviews (n = 13) and 2 focus groups (n = 7). Participants were recruited from Baltimore City recreation centers and were eligible if they were African American and aged 10-16 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  The food-related habits of low-income, African American, urban adolescents and reported perceptions of their food environments.
  
  
  METHODS
  Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emerging themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six thematic categories emerged and were organized into 4 environmental contexts: the neighborhood context (accessibility of food and safety of neighborhood), the school context (school food environment), the family context (family health history, role modeling, and monitoring) and the peer context (peer behaviors).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future efforts to reduce the obesity epidemic among low-income African American adolescents should address the social environment of the family; however, positive behavior change may not be sustainable without neighborhood or school food environment modifications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD. Electronic address: kachrist@jhsph.edu.
authors.forename: Karina M H
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Qureshi
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schaible
authors.forename: Sohyun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Joel
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gittelsohn
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015142:Baltimore / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D033262:Narration; D010379:Peer Group; D011203:Poverty; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D012931:Social Environment; D014505:Urban Population
keywords: African American; child; eating behavior; environment; overweight; qualitative research