title: Use of Focus Groups to Inform a Youth Diabetes Prevention Model.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore minority adolescents' perceptions of their diabetes risk, barriers and facilitators to adopting lifestyle changes, and ideas for adapting a youth diabetes prevention model.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted at collaborating community sites in East Harlem, NY. Trained moderators facilitated focus groups, which were audio taped and transcribed. Participants were 21 Latino and African American adolescents aged 14-18 years with a family history of diabetes and no reported personal history of diabetes. The phenomenon of interest was youth input in adapting a diabetes prevention model. Two researchers independently coded transcripts, identified major themes, compared findings, and resolved differences through discussion and consensus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dominant themes included (1) the impact of diabetes on quality of life within adolescents' personal networks; (2) conflict between changing diet and activity and their current lifestyle; (3) lifestyle choices being dictated by cost, mood, body image, and environment, not health; and (4) family, social, and environmental pressures reinforcing sedentary behaviors and unhealthy diets.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Themes from youth focus groups were framed in the context of an existing youth diabetes prevention conceptual model, with results informing expansion of the model and identification and organization of potential intervention components.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY; Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY. Electronic address: nita.vangeepuram@mssm.edu.
authors.forename: Nita
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vangeepuram
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Jane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Carmona
authors.affiliation: Institute for Family Health, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Guedy
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Arniella
authors.affiliation: Department of Population Health Science and Policy, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY.
authors.forename: Carol R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Horowitz
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burnet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009519:New York City; D010809:Physical Fitness
keywords: diabetes prevention; diet; focus groups; physical activity; youth