title: Indian students' perspectives on obesity and school-based obesity prevention: a qualitative examination.
abstract: Childhood obesity has recently been reported as a growing problem in low- and middle-income countries. One potential prevention strategy is to apply effective obesity prevention approaches from the United States and/or other Western countries into programs that can be implemented in developing countries such as India. The purpose of this study was to explore Indian students' perceptions of social-contextual factors related to obesity and whether they perceived a role for school-based obesity prevention. This study was conducted as a first step in a model to translate interventions from one culture to another. A total of 183 fourth- and fifth-grade students of middle socioeconomic status participated in focus group discussions. Analyses were guided by the essential principles of qualitative research and informed by social cognitive and social ecological theories. Results yielded five relevant themes: (a) student health behavior knowledge, (b) parental influence on health behavior, (c) school influence on health behavior, (d) media influence on health behavior, and (e) contexts for health promotion intervention. We found that students had moderate knowledge related to health behaviors (i.e., food intake and physical activity); that parents, schools, and the media are all important contributors to healthy and unhealthy behavior; and that schools can play an important role in the prevention of obesity. Results suggest that Indian middle socioeconomic status students are already moderately aware of the health benefits to nutritious food intake and physical activity, but parents, schools, and the media can influence unhealthy behaviors.
authors.affiliation: 1Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA.
authors.forename: Nathaniel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Riggs
authors.forename: Abha
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tewari
authors.forename: Melissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stigler
authors.forename: Lindsay
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rodrigues
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Arora
authors.forename: Jagdish
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Khubchandani
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Simmons
authors.forename: Mary Ann
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Pentz
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D004032:Diet; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008402:Mass Media; D010290:Parents; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology*; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*
keywords: Asian; child/adolescent health; cultural competence; minority health; school health