BackgroundThe prevalence of overweight and obesity is on the rise in South Africa, particularly among females living in urban environments. The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the emic perspectives of black young adult daughter and mother pairs living in Soweto, South Africa on diet, physical activity, and obesity-related health within their social and cultural context.MethodsPurposeful sampling was used to recruit daughters with a normal body mass index (BMI) who have obese mothers. Individual semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with 17 daughters (age 24 years) and 15 of their mothers in Soweto, South Africa. Interview questions related to: a) eating and physical activity behaviors and perceptions, b) perceptions of social and community level factors, c) cultural beliefs about diet and body image, and d) intergenerational relationships. Data were analyzed using four-phases of thematic analysis and the constant comparison approach.ResultsDaughters and mothers had similar ideas of the definition of healthy food and the importance of eating healthy, but mothers were more likely to report eating healthy because of their age, adverse health experiences, and a desire to live longer. Daughters and mothers engaged in physical activity for reasons related to weight maintenance and feeling better, but mothers reported being more likely to start exercising as a result of a health concern. Daughters and mothers had comparable views of what makes a person healthy. Daughters and mothers relied on each other for food purchasing and food preparation.ConclusionDaughters and mothers shared some similar perceptions of diet, physical activity, and health that were rooted in their daily life in Soweto. However, mothers generally reported being more likely to exhibit healthy eating and physical activity behaviors despite being obese. The mothers may have adopted these perceptions and behaviors later in life linked to ageing and ill-health. It is possible that through exposure, their daughters have assimilated these perceptions earlier in childhood or adolescence. It is important to focus health promotion efforts around preventing the otherwise expected increase of obesity among the young adult generation.

Data analysis is one of the most important, yet least understood, stages of the qualitative research process. Through rigorous analysis, data can illuminate the complexity of human behavior, inform interventions, and give voice to people's lived experiences. While significant progress has been made in advancing the rigor of qualitative analysis, the process often remains nebulous. To better understand how our field conducts and reports qualitative analysis, we reviewed qualitative articles published in Health Education & Behavior between 2000 and 2015. Two independent reviewers abstracted information in the following categories: data management software, coding approach, analytic approach, indicators of trustworthiness, and reflexivity. Of the 48 ( n = 48) articles identified, the majority ( n = 31) reported using qualitative software to manage data. Double-coding transcripts was the most common coding method ( n = 23); however, nearly one third of articles did not clearly describe the coding approach. Although the terminology used to describe the analytic process varied widely, we identified four overarching trajectories common to most articles ( n = 37). Trajectories differed in their use of inductive and deductive coding approaches, formal coding templates, and rounds or levels of coding. Trajectories culminated in the iterative review of coded data to identify emergent themes. Few articles explicitly discussed trustworthiness or reflexivity. Member checks ( n = 9), triangulation of methods ( n = 8), and peer debriefing ( n = 7) were the most common procedures. Variation in the type and depth of information provided poses challenges to assessing quality and enabling replication. Greater transparency and more intentional application of diverse analytic methods can advance the rigor and impact of qualitative research in our field.

A major impediment to improving the health of communities is the lack of qualified clinical and translational research (CTR) investigators. To address this workforce shortage, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) developed mechanisms to enhance the career development of CTR physician, PhD, and other doctoral junior faculty scientists including the CTR-focused K12 program and, subsequently, the KL2-mentored CTR career development program supported through the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs). Our evaluation explores the impact of the K12/KL2 program embedded within the Atlanta Clinical and Translational Science Institute (ACTSI), a consortium linking Emory University, Morehouse School of Medicine and the Georgia Institute of Technology. We conducted qualitative interviews with program participants to evaluate the impact of the program on career development and collected data on traditional metrics (number of grants, publications). 46 combined K12/KL2 scholars were supported between 2002 and 2016. 30 (65%) of the 46 K12/KL2 scholars are women; 24 (52%) of the trainees are minorities, including 10 (22%) scholars who are members of an underrepresented minority group. Scholars reported increased research skills, strong mentorship experiences, and positive impact on their career trajectory. Among the 43 scholars who have completed the program, 39 (91%) remain engaged in CTR and received over $89 000 000 as principal investigators on federally funded awards. The K12/KL2 funding provided the training and protected time for successful career development of CTR scientists. These data highlight the need for continued support for CTR training programs for junior faculty.

The field of public health in general, and health education and promotion in particular, is fueled by a longstanding commitment to improve health and prevent disease and mortality in local and global communities through research and practice (Rosenstock, Helsing, & Rimer, 2011). To achieve this immense task, schools and programs of public health must equip public health professionals with tools to interact with communities and stakeholders to determine their ever-shifting assets and needs, which can subsequently inform tailored programs and interventions. The Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health (ASPPH), which represents accredited public health schools and programs in the United States (ASPPH, 2017a), released the Master of Public Health (MPH) core competency model a decade ago outlining key competencies deemed necessary for MPH graduates by subdiscipline (i.e., biostatistics, epidemiology, social and behavioral sciences, health services administration, and environmental health sciences; Calhoun, Ramiah, Weist, & Shortell, 2008). Accordingly, being able to "identify individual, organizational and community concerns, assets, resources and deficits for social and behavioral science interventions" was 1 of 10 recommended competencies uniquely proposed for Departments of Social and Behavioral Sciences, which 772314P HPXXX10.

Qualitative methods help us understand context, explore new phenomena, identify new research questions, and uncover new models of change. To better understand how researchers in health education and health behavior use qualitative methods, we reviewed qualitative articles published in Health Education & Behavior from 2000 to 2015. We identified 48 articles that met our inclusion criteria and extracted information on the qualitative inquiry framework, use of theory, data collection methods, sampling strategy, general analysis approach, and reporting of results. Use of common qualitative inquiry frameworks was rare, with just one grounded theory study, five ethnographies, and one case study. No studies were framed using phenomenological or narrative inquiry approaches. Theory was used most commonly to select sensitizing constructs for analysis (41.7%) and to inform development of data collection instruments (27.1%). Interviews were the most common data collection method (66.7%), with focus groups next most common (39.6%). Sampling was typically purposive (87.5%), although often not labeled as such. Almost all (95.8%) the articles used quotes to illustrate themes and more than half (58.3%) used descriptors of magnitude (e.g., most, some) to report findings. The use of qualitative methods by health education and behavior researchers could be enriched with more intentional application of a broader range of inquiry frameworks. More deliberate application of a range of inquiry frameworks has the potential to broaden the types of research questions asked, application and generation of theory, study design, analytic strategies, and reporting of results.