A qualitative study of adolescent perceived school and home connectedness and eating behaviors in relation to BMI
Woolverton, Genevieve Alice
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INTRODUCTION: Obesity is a major public health concern for youth in the United States. Eating behaviors, such as meal skipping and eating family dinner, are associated with obesity. School connectedness and family connectedness assess the degree to which an individual feels that he or she belongs in an environment, and strong feelings of school connectedness are associated with decreased BMI. This study qualitatively evaluates the relationships between feelings of home and school connectedness and specific eating behaviors associated with obesity in an adolescent population. METHODS: Participants were recruited from an adolescent clinic at Boston Children's Hospital. Inclusion criteria for recruitment included adolescents who were: Black/ African American or Hispanic and non-White, between 13 and 19 years of age, and living in the Boston neighborhoods of Dorchester, Roxbury, or Mattapan. Participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide, and participant data was analyzed by systematically identifying thematic language in the data by identifying similar phrases, patterns of descriptions, and notable disparities in participant content. RESULTS: 14 (10 females, 4 males; M=15.8 years of age) were enrolled and interviewed. Mean participant BMI was 27.3. 10 participants rarely/never skipped lunch, and 4 participants often/always skipped lunch. 6 participants ate dinner at home with their family always/ often, and 4 rarely/never ate dinner at home with their family. Most reported that their school's community, quality of education, and small environments were the most important aspects of their school. Of the 4 participants who attended school in the suburbs, 3 were connected or very connected to their school and disconnected from their neighborhoods. Every participant expressed feeling safe at school, but many cited lack of safety as their least favorite aspect of their neighborhood. Some reported that they felt safe, even though they knew that their neighborhoods were unsafe. CONCLUSION: Of the five students who felt 'very connected' to their schools, all but one always/often ate the food provided by their schools. These students discussed the ways in which their schools listened to student suggestions about school food. These feelings may suggest a stronger sense of feeling respected by one's school. Strong feelings of school connectedness in the majority of students who attend school in the suburbs warrant further exploration, as those who experience discordant home and school environments seemed more likely to embrace their school environment than their neighborhood environment. Furthermore, understanding how perceived neighborhood safety may contribute to feelings of home and neighborhood connectedness and possibly eating behaviors at or around home merits further examination.