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ABSTRACT
Purpose
This study sought to understand family functioning surrounding weight in Mexican American women with obesity.
Methods
Semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with mothers and adult daughters (N = 116).
Results
Thematic analysis identified five themes. 1) The communication process drives perception of supportive messages. Messages perceived as non-supportive consist of directives as interventions, confirmation of faults, and critical compliments whereas supportive consist of compliments, encouragement, empathetic listening, and disclosure. 2) Acculturation differences interfere with intergenerational alliance. Differences involve dissonance in communication, behavioural expectations, and weight-related practices. 3) Maladaptive conflict responses contribute to relational strain. These responses include avoidance, withdrawal, and defensiveness. 4) Role transformations alter the generational hierarchical relationship. Daughters serve as role models, caregivers, or collaborators. 5) Low communal coping heightens psychological distress. It does so by challenging family roles, increasing social isolation, and compromising social support.
Conclusion
Obesity interventions for Mexican American women may benefit from targeting relational skills to improve family functioning.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Supplemental material
Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/17482631.2024.2348894
Additional information
Funding
Notes on contributors
Becky Marquez
Becky Marquez is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California San Diego. She earned a PhD from Cornell University and completed postdoctoral training at Brown University in Behavioral Medicine and UC San Diego in Public Health. Her research focuses on the role of social relationships in influencing eating and physical activity behaviours. Marquez has a special interest in culturally responsive mental and behavioural health interventions.
Florencia Lebensohn-Chialvo
Florencia Lebensohn-Chialvo is an Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of California San Diego. She earned a PhD from the University of Arizona and completed postdoctoral training at UCLA. Her research background is in family-based interventions. Lebensohn-Chialvo focuses on training behavioural health providers to deliver evidence-based, culturally and linguistically appropriate care to underserved communities, with a specific emphasis on Latinos.
Tala Al-Rousan
Tala Al-Rousan is an Assistant Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of California San Diego. She earned a MD from Cairo University and completed postdoctoral training from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and UC San Francisco. Her research background is in disease management in underserved populations. Al-Rousan has a special interest in health equity and refugee health.