See Me, Hear Me, Know Me: Perspectives on Diet and Physical Activity Influences among Teens Living in Rural Texas Communities

Authors

Debbe Thompson
Julie Miranda
Chishinga Callender
Jayna M Dave
Godlove Appiah
Salma M A Musaad

Publication Date

11-6-2023

Journal

Nutrients

DOI

10.3390/nu15214695

PMID

37960349

PMCID

PMC10650212

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

11-6-2023

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

Humans, Adolescent, Rural Population, Texas, Diet, Obesity, Surveys and Questionnaires, Exercise, rural, diet, physical activity, qualitative, barriers, facilitators

Abstract

Teens in rural communities are at greater risk of obesity than teens in urban areas. Diet and physical activity influence obesity risk. Understanding their perspectives is an important step in intervention design. This qualitative investigation explored teen perspectives on how living in a rural community influenced their diet and physical activity choices. Forty parent-teen pairs were recruited. Data collection included surveys and telephone interviews. This paper reports teen perspectives identified in the first interview. Thematic analysis was used to code and analyze the data. Findings revealed that the primary factor driving teens' diet and physical activity behaviors was the teens themselves. They clearly understood their role in the choices they made, although they acknowledged not always making the healthiest choice. This belief was driven by their motivation to engage in healthy behaviors, which was influenced by the perceived benefits derived from making healthy choices and from the synergistic relationship between diet and physical activity. Diet and physical activity, in turn, were influenced by the environment, particularly the home, social, and community environments. Family and friends were particularly influential, as well as resource availability. These findings can serve as a foundation for designing interventions tailored to this population.