MEASURES FOR MEXICAN AMERICAN WEIGHT REDUCTION RESEARCH -
DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The Hispanic community is the second largest minority group in the United States with an estimated population of 35.3 million. Mexican Americans make up approximately two-thirds of the Hispanic population. Despite numerous programs, recent data show that the population overall, and especially the Mexican American minority, are increasingly obese (National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2000). Health costs associated with obesity run in the billions of dollars yearly. There has been little research examining beliefs and attitudes about eating and weight in the Mexican American community. To understand obesity in the Mexican American community and, ultimately, to implement effective preventative interventions, it is essential to develop measures that accommodate and incorporate the system of values, beliefs, and goals of that community. Generic measures developed for Anglo populations will not suffice. The proposed research aims to simultaneously develop and validate English and Spanish language measures designed specifically for the Mexican American community and for use with the theory of planned behavior. The research focuses on adult Mexican Americans across the life span. Specific aims and phases proposed follow. Phase 1 employs focus groups and interviews to gather culturally relevant beliefs about eating, body weight, and health, including beliefs relevant to the theory of planned behavior (behavioral, normative, and control). Phase 2 undertakes a content analysis of phase 1 data. Phase 3 uses information from phases 1 and 2 to develop culturally appropriate belief items and measures, in English and Spanish simultaneously. Phase 4 ensures the clarity and linguistic equivalence of the measures through pilot testing and revision with monolingual and bilingual Mexican Americans. Phase 5 tests the scalar equivalence of the measures across languages through test-retest analyses with bilingual Mexican Americans. Phase 6 validates the measures developed in a representative sample of California's adult Mexican Americans across the life span.
