Stress & Parenting in Blacks: Preventing Obesity in Youth to Reduce Cancer Risk

描述（由申请人提供）：肥胖是2011年超过16,000名非裔美国人（黑人）癌症相关死亡的一个因素。黑人是美国肥胖和癌症死亡率最高的群体。与癌症风险增加相关的肥胖和生活方式行为往往是在儿童时期建立的，这突出了父母行为在降低与肥胖相关的癌症风险方面的重要性。这项拟议的研究考察了应对压力对减轻照顾者行为的影响，这些行为会导致儿童肥胖、快餐、水果和蔬菜消费、运动和不运动。长期研究的目标是为黑人家庭开发一种干预措施，以降低儿童与肥胖相关的癌症风险。压力，被定义为对被认为是繁重的事件的负面心理反应，在黑人成年人中与随意的饮食计划和高脂肪/高糖食物的消费增加有关。父母/照顾者（此处简称“照顾者”）的压力与儿童肥胖、快餐消费和蔬菜摄入量减少有关。黑人和白人对应对方式的不同使用被认为是造成健康差异的原因。有证据表明，与白人相比，黑人更有可能使用宗教和文化影响的应对方式。这两种应对方式都有增加肥胖风险（消极应对）或减少肥胖风险（积极应对）的方面。混合方法设计将用于确定压力和应对如何影响可能与儿童肥胖相关的父母行为。本研究的目的是：(1)探讨黑人照顾者压力、应对技能和养育行为对儿童肥胖的影响；(2)衡量压力、文化影响和宗教应对方式与黑人照顾者养育行为促进儿童肥胖的关系。为了实现这些目标，首先采用半结构化访谈的定性研究，对48名3-7岁儿童的照顾者进行定性研究，以表征压力和应对对儿童肥胖相关养育的影响。其次，横断面研究将测量164名看护者及其3-7岁儿童的这些关系。这项研究将在黑人教会社区进行，以反映85%的黑人认为自己是黑人教会文化的一部分。这些研究将为未来开发和测试预防儿童肥胖和未来癌症风险的干预措施的项目提供信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Obesity was a factor in over 16,000 cancer-related deaths in African-Americans (Blacks) in 2011. Blacks have the highest prevalence of obesity and cancer death rates of any group in the United States. Obesity and lifestyle behaviors related to increased cancer risks are often established during childhood, highlighting the importance of parenting behaviors in reducing obesity-related cancer risks. The proposed study examines the influence of coping in mitigating the effects of stress on caregiver behaviors that promote child obesity, fast food, fruit and vegetable consumption, activity and inactivity. The long term research objective is to develop an intervention for Black families to reduce obesity-related cancer risk in children. Stress, defined as the negative psychological response to events that are perceived as taxing, in Black adults is associated with haphazard meal planning and increased consumption of high-fat/high-sugar foods. Stress in parents/caregivers (here on referred to as "caregivers") is associated with child obesity, fast food consumption, and decreased vegetable intake. Differential use of coping styles in Blacks and Whites has been postulated as a cause for health disparities. There is evidence that compared with Whites, Blacks are more likely to use religious and culturally influenced coping. Both of these types of coping have aspects that either increase the risk of obesity (negative coping) or decrease the risk of obesity (positive coping). A mixed-methods design will be used to identify how stress and coping influence parenting behaviors that may be associated with child obesity. The research aims are: (1) to characterize the relationships among stress, coping skills and parenting behaviors of Black caregivers that promote child obesity; and (2) to measure the association of stress and culturally-influenced and religious coping styles with parenting behaviors of Black caregivers that promote child obesity. To accomplish these aims, first a qualitative study using semi-structured interviews will be used to characterize the influence of stress and coping on parenting related to child obesity in 48 caregivers of children ages 3-7 years. Second, a cross-sectional study will measure these relationships in 164 caregivers and their children ages 3-7 years. This study will be conducted in the Black church community to reflect the fact that 85% of Blacks consider themselves a part of Black church culture. These studies will inform future projects that develop and test interventions to prevent child obesity and future cancer risk.