Barriers Facing Multicultural Participants in a University Weight Loss Program: A Preliminary Study

¹Department of Dietetics & Nutrition, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA.

Corresponding Author: Marcia Magnus, Department of Dietetics & Nutrition, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA, Tel: +305-348-1989; E-Mail:[email protected]

Received Date: 11 Feb 2016    
Accepted Date: 23 Mar 2016   
Published Date: 02 Apr 2016

Copyright © 2016 Ohta T

Citation: Magnus M and Gay M. (2016). Barriers Facing Multicultural Participants in a University Weight Loss Program: A Preliminary Study. Mathews J Nutr Diet. 1(1): 002.

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to examine exercise and dietary barriers, and assess the usefulness of program features among multiethnic Blacks and Hispanics who were enrolled in a university weight loss program. The intervention included two nutrition meetings, an individualized recommended daily calorie level, group exercise sessions and a recommended Biometrics meal plan. Using a longitudinal design over four 16-week semesters, an online questionnaire was administered at the mid and end-point to weight loss program participants. Among the 66 participants, 86% were female; 52% were multiethnic Hispanic (Cuban American, Mexican American, Central and Latin American), 20% were multiethnic Black (African American, Haitian American, English-speaking Caribbean American). Mean weight loss was 3.81 pounds, with no significant differences between faculty/staff (4.81 pounds), and students (2.97 pounds). There were no significant gender differences for most exercise barriers except that women were almost twice as likely to cite the boredom of exercise compared to men. There were no significant gender differences among barriers to eating right except that males were more likely to cite the difficulty of eating right as a barrier than females. On average, the “very useful” perception of the Biometrics meal plan dropped from 23% to 5% over the course of 16 weeks for all four semesters. These data suggest a need for formative evaluation to repeatedly assess the usefulness of dietary and exercise features. The cultural appropriateness of dietary recommendations prevailed as an ongoing barrier to weight loss among multicultural program participants.