A qualitative study of the day-to-day lives of obese Mexican-American adolescent females.

OBJECTIVE: In an effort to develop more effective weight-loss interventions, this study examined the daily experiences and personal struggles of Mexican-American adolescent females with morbid obesity. METHODS: Twenty self-identified, morbidly obese Mexican-American adolescent females and their families were interviewed about their food choices, personal and family barriers to weight loss, sources of support, previous weight-loss experience, and weight-related beliefs. Qualitative responses were coded by using framework analysis. RESULTS: Four themes emerged from the adolescent and family responses: the impact of normal adolescent development, multiple sources of excess calories, the physical and emotional burden of excess weight for the adolescent, and the magnitude of the family's personal struggle with weight management. Multiple subthemes were also identified. CONCLUSIONS: Responses by the adolescents and their families highlighted the intersection of adolescence and Mexican-American culture and the daily challenges of obesity. Recommendations for providers include incorporating knowledge of adolescent development and culturally sensitive care into treatment recommendations.

Focusing on flu: Parent perspectives on school-located immunization programs for influenza vaccine.

School-located immunization programs (SLIP) will only be successful if parents consent to their children's participation. It is critical to understand parent perspectives regarding the factors that make them more or less likely to provide that consent. Organizations creating SLIPs will be able to capitalize on the aspects of SLIPs that parents appreciate, and address and correct issues that may give rise to parent concerns. This study involved five focus groups among the parents of school students in a large, urban school district. Findings highlight the broad range of concepts important to parents when considering participation in a SLIP. The safety and trust issues regarding vaccines in general that are so important to parents are also important to parents when considering participation in a SLIP. Effective communication strategies that include assurances regarding tracking of information and the competence and experience of immunizers will be helpful when addressing parents regarding SLIPs. In addition, parents were very cognizant of and positive regarding the public health benefits associated with SLIPs. Further study among larger populations of parents will further refine these ideas and aid in the development of successful influenza vaccine SLIPs that directly address and communicate with parents about the issues most important to them.

School-located influenza immunization programs: factors important to parents and students.

PURPOSE: To describe both parent and student perspectives on the importance of various programmatic factors when deciding to participate in a school-located immunizations program (SLIP) for influenza vaccine. METHODS: Questionnaires were distributed to middle- and high-school students and their parents; the document assessed demographic data, influenza vaccination history, and the importance of various factors in their decision to participate in a potential SLIP for influenza vaccine. Factor analysis created six primary factors of importance related to programming: (1) safety/trust; (2) outbreaks (representing imminent threat of disease, an environmental factor associated with program timing); (3) issues of site implementation; (4) public health benefits; (5) record-keeping; (6) medical/emotional support. RESULTS: Participants included 621 students and 579 parents; 566 student/parent dyads were included. Most respondents were female, felt it is important to be immunized against the flu, and received the influenza vaccine in the past. Fewer than 50% had received the intranasal vaccine. More parents (67%) than students (46%) expressed a general willingness to consent to utilizing a SLIP. The programmatic factors associated with public health were second only to safety/trust factors as the most important to parents and students when considering participation in a SLIP. Demographic variables were found to be associated with the importance ratings of program factors associated with participation in a SLIP. CONCLUSIONS: When considering possible participation in SLIPs, parents and students consider programmatic factors associated with safety/trust and public health benefits to be of the greatest importance. Further study will be needed to develop effective and culturally sensitive messaging that targets and emphasizes these factors to potentially increase participation in SLIPS.