title: Do Faith Communities Have a Role in Addressing Childhood Obesity?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Pediatric obesity is a multifaceted phenomenon. A partnership with faith-based communities to address the issue has been suggested. The purpose of this study was to describe the cultural beliefs of faith community leaders regarding childhood obesity and to examine attitudes about their role in addressing the issue.
  
  
  METHODS
  A qualitative descriptive design informed by ethnographic methods and triangulation of multiple data sources was utilized to assess the cultural beliefs of faith community leaders. A purposive sample of 13 leaders (nine females, four males) from seven multicultural and multigenerational local faith communities participated in the study. No more than three participants from any one faith community were enrolled in the study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty-first century lifestyle challenges, accountability of behaviors (a dichotomy that fluctuated between individual responsibility to community and/or social responsibility), and the need for intentionality emerged as themes from the data.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Faith community leaders envisioned a role for faith communities in addressing childhood obesity. Findings support the ongoing development of population based health promotion programs through faith community engagement. The findings provide a foundation for nurses partnering with faith communities on health promotion programs targeting childhood obesity to address family health issues in a holistic way.
authors: Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.
authors: Andra
authors: A
authors: Opalinski
authors: Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.
authors: Susan
authors: S
authors: Dyess
authors: Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida.
authors: Sareen
authors: S
authors: Grooper
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D011637:Public Health Nursing; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012067:Religion; D012380:Role; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: culture; family health; health promotion; parish nursing; pediatric obesity; public health nursing; social responsibility