College of Public Health Faculty and Alumna Publish on Healthy Eating in Appalachia
Dr. Jodi Southerland, alumna of the East Tennessee State University College of Public Health Doctor of Public Health degree, has authored an article in the Journal of Appalachian Health. The article, “Barriers to Healthy Eating Among High School Youth in Rural Southern Appalachia” discusses how adolescent eating behaviors are shaped by social, physical, and environmental factors.
Dr. Debbi Slawson and Taylor Dula, faculty in the Department of Community and Behavioral Health, are co-authors.
Diet and nutrition play an important role in a child’s health and reduce the risk of numerous health problems including obesity. Dietary habits can be difficult to modify in children, particularly in Appalachia, where access to affordable, healthy foods is limited. Research examining the underlying contextual factors that contribute to adolescents’ dietary behaviors in Appalachia can be used to inform the development of effective obesity-prevention programming. Few studies have used qualitative methods to examine these factors among adolescents in Appalachia. This study seeks to address this gap by examining barriers to healthy eating in this population.
During 2013–2014, thirteen focus groups and 22 semistructured interviews were conducted to explore strategies to engage parents in adolescent obesity prevention. Analysis of participants’ responses resulted in identification of three main barriers to healthy eating in Appalachia: cultural norms, school-based nutrition policy/programming, and rurality. These barriers underscore the complex and challenging role that individual, home, school, and community environments have on healthy eating among adolescents
These findings provide important insights into barriers to healthy eating in this population and point to future directions for research and practice. For example, the findings can be used by school personnel to develop ecologic approaches to school-based nutrition programming in Appalachia. Student associations can also use these findings to actively participate in efforts to improve school food offerings.