African-American women's perceptions of weight: paradigm shift for advanced practice

To identify African-American women's definitions and descriptions of body weight, using King's General Systems Framework and Combs and Snygg's concept of perception as a guide, focus group methodology was utilized. These women's frame of reference for "normal body weight" was much larger than the standard indicator for weight and defined weight, normal weight, ideal weight, underweight, overweight, and obesity in terms of their cultural, social, and individual context. By understanding individual perceptions of weight, advanced practice nurses can devise strategies to facilitate weight management in African-American women who may want to lose or need to lose weight for such health-related illnesses as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, or hypertension.