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BackgroundCommunication about physical activity (PA) frames PA and influences what it means to people, including the role it plays in their lives. To the extent that PA messages can be designed to reflect outcomes that are relevant to what people most value experiencing and achieving in their daily lives, the more compelling and effective they will be. Aligned with self-determination theory, this study investigated proximal goals and values that are salient in everyday life and how they could be leveraged through new messaging to better support PA participation among women. The present study was designed to examine the nature of women’s daily goals and priorities and investigate women’s PA beliefs, feelings, and experiences, in order to identify how PA may compete with or facilitate women’s daily goals and priorities. Preliminary recommendations are proposed for designing new PA messages that align PA with women’s daily goals and desired experiences to better motivate participation.MethodsEight focus groups were conducted with White, Black, and Hispanic/Latina women aged 22–49, stratified by amount of self-reported PA (29 low active participants, 11 high active participants). Respondents discussed their goals, values, and daily priorities along with beliefs, feelings about and experiences being physically active. Data were collected, coded, and analyzed using a thematic analysis strategy to identify emergent themes.ResultsMany of the goals and values that both low and high active participants discussed as desiring and valuing map on to key principles of self-determination theory. However, the discussions among low active participants suggested that their beliefs, feelings, experiences, and definitions of PA were in conflict with their proximal goals, values, and priorities, also undermining their psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness.ConclusionsFindings from this study can be used to inform and evaluate new physical activity communication strategies that leverage more proximal goals, values, and experiences of happiness and success to better motivate PA among ethnically diverse low active women. Specifically, this research suggests a need to address how women’s daily goals and desired experiences may undermine PA participation, in addition to framing PA as facilitating rather than competing with their daily priorities and desired leisure-time experiences.

The hybrid model reflects a more accurate representation of school-based interventions. More research is needed to identify the specific components of this model that are most successful in impacting fruit and vegetable consumption among US children.

BackgroundThe National Academy of Medicine recommends that cancer patients be knowledgeable of their prognosis to enable them to make informed treatment decisions, but research suggests few patients receive this information.ObjectiveThis qualitative study describes oncologists’ language during discussions of prognosis and treatment goals in clinical interactions with African American patients diagnosed with cancer.DesignWe analysed transcripts from video recordings of clinical interactions between patients with Stage III or IV cancer (n=26) and their oncologists (n=9). In‐depth discourse analysis was conducted to describe and interpret oncologists’ communication behaviours and common linguistic features in the interactions.Setting and participantsData were from a larger study of patient‐provider communication between African Americans and oncologists at two cancer hospitals in Detroit.ResultsPrognosis was discussed in 73.1% (n=19) of the interactions; treatment goals were discussed in 92.3% (n=24). However, analysis revealed that oncologists’ description of prognosis was vague (e.g. “prognosis is a bit worse in your case”) and rarely included a survival estimate. Oncologists often used ambiguous terminology, including euphemisms and jargon, and emphasized uncertainty (e.g. “lesions are suspicious for the disease”). Conversation about prognosis was frequently brief, moving quickly to the urgency and details of treatment.DiscussionThis study demonstrates how oncologists’ language may obscure discussion of prognosis and treatment goals. The identified behaviours may lead to missed opportunities in eliciting and discussing patients’ knowledge about and preferences for their care. Patient‐, provider‐ and system‐oriented interventions are needed to improve clinical communication, especially among minority patients with advanced cancer.

Objective: The present study was undertaken to learn more about parents' (i) knowledge regarding healthy foods, factors associated with food purchasing and preparation, and current nutrition education resources, (ii) barriers to and promoters for establishing healthy eating habits for children and families, and (iii) interest in participating in nutrition interventions. Design: Focus group interviews were conducted with parents of low-income children from the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). Setting: LAUSD Title 1 elementary schools where 50 % or more of students are eligible for free/reduced-price meals. Subjects: Sixty-four parents (93 % female; 84 % Hispanic/Latino) of elementaryschool students. Results: The most common barriers to eating healthy foods were cost, difficulty in getting children to eat healthier foods and easy access to fast food. Parents had a basic knowledge about what foods are healthy and received most of their nutrition education through the media. Parents expressed a desire for nutrition classes and almost all of them said they would attend a nutrition programme at their child's school. Topic areas of interest included what to purchase, how to cook healthier foods, how to encourage their children to eat healthier and how to read food labels. Parents also requested classes that engage the whole family, especially fathers. Conclusions: Parents in our study were interested in participating in nutrition education programmes. The information from these focus groups was used to design a parent nutrition education programme especially designed to respond to the needs of the LAUSD parents, the majority of whom are low-income and Hispanic/Latino.