Using Concept Mapping within a Community-Academic Partnership to Examine Obesity among Mexican Immigrants

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Nutritional Science

Background:

• Weight gain is a common issue for individuals migrating to a new country.
• Mexican immigrants experience disproportionately high rates of overweight/obesity and food insecurity.
• Social stressors, including unemployment, discrimination, and deportation threats, are linked to food insecurity and weight gain in this population.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify community-defined causes and correlates of obesity among Mexican-Americans.
• To assess the impact of social stressors, policies, and programs on food insecurity and obesity.
• To determine community-prioritized areas for obesity prevention interventions.

Main Methods:

• Group concept mapping (GCM) was employed within a community-academic partnership (CAP).
• Methods included community brainstorming, statement sorting and rating, and multivariate statistical analysis.
• Community interpretation of results facilitated understanding of contributing factors.

Main Results:

• Eighty statements were categorized into intrapersonal, community-level, and social policy-related factors.
• Immigration-related stressors, such as fear of deportation and resource prioritization away from healthy eating, were identified.
• Priority intervention areas include exercise, healthy eating knowledge, food costs, "junk" food consumption, and stress management.

Conclusions:

• High social stress levels are associated with food insecurity and obesity in Mexican immigrant families.
• Obesity prevention requires a multifaceted approach addressing identified community needs.
• Community-defined priorities offer a roadmap for targeted interventions.