Sedentary behavior and food cravings in diverse overweight women: a pilot study.

UNLABELLED: Obesity rates have risen sharply in the United States, with minority women among those most affected. Although a majority of Americans are considered inactive, little attention has been devoted to studying the correlation of sedentary behavior with dietary cravings in adults. OBJECTIVE: The current study used objective and self-report methods to measure sedentary behavior and its relationship to food cravings in a sample of overweight African American and Caucasian women. DESIGN: Thirty-nine adult women (54% African American) with an average body mass index of 33.7 wore accelerometers for one week and completed self-report measures of sedentary behavior, physical activity, and food cravings. RESULTS: Self-reported television viewing time was slightly longer (3.0 versus 2.5 hours), although total sedentary time was shorter (6.7 versus 8.0 hours) on weekends versus weekdays. Weekend but not weekday sedentary time and television viewing were associated with stable aspects of food cravings rather than craving for specific foods. CONCLUSION: In this small sample, only a third of all sedentary time was attributed to viewing television. Assessing whether sedentary behavior occurs by necessity versus choice may be a factor to consider in examining its relationship to food cravings.

Barriers to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity in the Mississippi Delta.

Rural regions in the United States are home to approximately 15-20% of the country's population. These regions are often characterized by low access to medical care and high rates of disease and death. The literature has detailed the heterogeneous nature of rural health disparities, calling for research detailing regional factors that influence individual-level risk factors such as diet and physical activity. Approximately 54% of Mississippi residents live in rural areas. The Mississippi Delta population is largely characterized by high obesity rates, poor diet, and low levels of physical activity. This study presents detailed observations of the community-level barriers and facilitators to healthy eating and physical activity within Mississippi Delta communities, contextualizing the findings of a survey of 352 individuals across 25 communities to provide implications and direction for future activities aimed at reducing obesity in the Mississippi Delta. Study participants reported a high prevalence of overweight (22.9%) and obese (62.1%) body mass index classifications. Chi-square analyses revealed significant relationships between body mass index, age, and health conditions. Community food and physical activity environments and rural characteristics were largely implicated as barriers to fruit and vegetable consumption and physical activity. Next steps involve using qualitative research techniques to guide the development of programmatic strategies for reducing obesity through diet and physical activity in these communities and other rural regions in the United States.

Racial Differences in Breastfeeding on the Mississippi Gulf Coast: Making Sense of a Promotion-Prevalence Paradox with Cross-Sectional Data.

Breastfeeding is less prevalent among African American women than their white peers. Moreover, breastfeeding rates in the South lag behind those in other regions of the U.S. Consequently, various efforts have been undertaken to promote breastfeeding among groups for which this practice is less common. This study examines African American and white racial disparities concerning (1) exposure to breastfeeding promotional information and (2) reported prevalence of breastfeeding in primary social networks. The survey combines a randomly selected sample of adults representative of the population and a non-random oversample of African Americans in a predominantly rural tri-county area on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. An initial wave of 2019 Mississippi REACH Social Climate Survey data collected under the auspices of the CDC-funded REACH program (Mississippi's Healthy Families, Mothers, and Babies Initiative; 2018-2023) is used to examine racial disparities in these two key outcomes for Mississippians in Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties. The results show that African American respondents are more likely to be exposed to breastfeeding promotional messages than their white counterparts. However, the reported prevalence of breastfeeding in African American respondents' primary social networks is significantly lower than that indicated by their white peers. These paradoxical results underscore the limitations of promotional efforts alone to foster breastfeeding. While breastfeeding promotion is important, the reduction of racial disparities in this practice likely requires a multi-pronged effort that involves structural breastfeeding supports (e.g., lactation spaces, peer networking groups, and pro-breastfeeding employment policies and workplaces). This study provides a promising model of innovative methodological approaches to the study of breastfeeding while underscoring the complex nature of racial disparities in lactation prevalence.

Using self-efficacy to predict weight loss among young adults.

Many healthcare professionals support the idea that weight control and healthy eating should be emphasized early in a person's life to prevent obesity during middle and older adulthood. Unfortunately, although many weight loss programs are available to consumers, few are successful. Recently, constructs of behavioral theories have been integrated into weight loss programs and used to promote changes in health behaviors. In this study, methods used to increase self-efficacy for weight loss were incorporated into a 12-week program designed for weight loss promotion in young adults. Results found that as self-efficacy improved, eating habits improved and weight loss was greater. This study supports the hypothesis that using behavioral techniques to improve self-efficacy can be effective in weight loss promotion and can produce positive outcomes.