“We’re Changing Our Ways”: Women’s Coping Strategies for Obesity Risk-reducing Behaviors in American Indian Households

Abstract

This article reveals women caregivers’ perceptions and coping strategies to improve households’ food and physical activity habits. Results emerged from the pre-intervention formative research phase of a multi-site, multi-level obesity prevention pilot intervention on American Indian (AI) reservations. Using purposive sampling, 250 adults and children participated in qualitative research. Results reveal that having local institutional support was a key structural facilitator. ‘Family connectedness’ emerged as a key relational facilitator. Hegemony of systems, food deserts, transportation, and weather were key structural barriers; Childcare needs and time constraints were key relational barriers. Women’s coping strategies included planning ahead, maximizing, apportioning, tempting healthy, and social support. Findings informed the development and implementation of a novel obesity prevention pilot intervention tailored for each participating AI community addressing culturally relevant messages, institutional policies, and programs. We conclude with future consideration for comparative, ethnicity-based, class-based, and gender-specific studies on women’s coping strategies for household health behaviors.

KEYWORDS:

• American Indian
• coping strategies
• households
• obesity prevention
• women

Notes

¹ “Convenience” foods are recognized as foods that are cheap, easy to prepare, and readily available, also known as fast foods or pre-prepared commercial foods, in contrast to “whole” foods (McDermott and Stephens 2010).