eprintid: 10025
rev_number: 4
userid: 6
dir: disk0/00/01/00/25
datestamp: 2011-11-10 20:08:01
lastmod: 2016-11-15 13:53:06
status_changed: 2011-11-10 20:08:01
type: thesis_degree
metadata_visibility: show
contact_email: tlmowers@yahoo.com
item_issues_count: 0
eprint_status: archive
creators_name: Mowers, Tarah Lea
creators_email: tlmowers@yahoo.com
title: A Synthesis of the Literature on Interventions to Improve the Diets of African American Youth in order to Prevent Overweight and Obesity
ispublished: unpub
divisions: sch_gsph_behavioralcommhealthsci
full_text_status: public
keywords: African American youth; barriers to nutrition interventions; nutrition interventions; overweight and obesity prevention
abstract: This literature review examines the problem of overweight and obesity in African American youth focusing on what is currently known regarding interventions designed to improve the diets of this population. The paper discusses the causes and contributing factors to the rise of overweight and obesity, followed by an overview of the major types of interventions that have been designed to address factors across the social-ecological continuum--that is, from the intrapersonal, interpersonal, organizational, community, and policy levels, paying particular attention to school-based interventions. The cultural appropriateness of nutrition interventions for African American youth and barriers to program effectiveness are also explored. Evidence from the literature suggests the need to employ multi-component interventions which emphasize upstream, policy change. In addition, collaborative partnerships have also been identified as being necessary in order to sustain interventions and maximize their long-term impacts. The issue of overweight and obesity among African American youth is a significant public health problem that is associated with the poor quality of diet. Improving the diets of African American children and adolescents requires multi-component, coordinated efforts in order to ameliorate the negative health consequences. This issue suggests the need for continued research to develop effective interventions.
date: 2009-01-29
date_type: completed
institution: University of Pittsburgh
refereed: TRUE
etdcommittee_type: committee_chair
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_type: committee_member
etdcommittee_name: Trauth, Jeanette
etdcommittee_name: Keane, Christopher
etdcommittee_name: Bodnar, Lisa
etdcommittee_email: trauth@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: crkcity@pitt.edu
etdcommittee_email: bodnar@edc.pitt.edu
etdcommittee_id: TRAUTH
etdcommittee_id: CRKCITY
etdcommittee_id: LBODNAR
etd_defense_date: 2008-12-05
etd_approval_date: 2009-01-29
etd_submission_date: 2008-12-04
etd_access_restriction: immediate
etd_patent_pending: FALSE
assigned_doi: doi:10.5195/pitt.etd.2011.10025
thesis_type: thesis
degree: MPH
committee: Jeanette Trauth (trauth@pitt.edu) - Committee Chair
committee: Christopher Keane (crkcity@pitt.edu) - Committee Member
committee: Lisa Bodnar (bodnar@edc.pitt.edu) - Committee Member
etdurn: etd-12042008-105619
other_id: http://etd.library.pitt.edu/ETD/available/etd-12042008-105619/
other_id: etd-12042008-105619
citation:   Mowers, Tarah Lea  (2009) A Synthesis of the Literature on Interventions to Improve the Diets of African American Youth in order to Prevent Overweight and Obesity.  Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.    (Unpublished)  
document_url: http://d-scholarship-dev.library.pitt.edu/10025/1/mowerstl_etdfinal2008.pdf2.pdf