The aim of this study is to ascertain if the living environment (type of residential neighborhood and number of household members) will elucidate differences in obesity risk reduction behaviors and self-efficacy in Chinese Americans. A cross-sectional survey design was used to recruit participants from Los Angeles County and New York City metropolitan areas. A total of 650 adults were recruited from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Descriptive statistics were measured for 19 behaviors reflecting food intake and portion size control and items measuring self-efficacy and attitudes. T-tests were applied for the two categories of living environment. The mean age of the sample was 36.3 years. The ‘high income’ neighborhood group indicated a greater frequency of behaviors, including choosing steamed over fried foods (p < 0.01) and using small amounts of oil (p < 0.05). In general, this group exhibited more favorable attitudes and stronger self-efficacy to perform health behaviors. Multiple regression analyses point to the impact of self-efficacy in predicting behaviors. Nutrition professionals must assess client’s living environments in the adoption of obesity prevention behaviors and the fostering of behavioral confidence.
Conclusion:The researchers, despite being experienced nutrition educators, were surprised at the number of unfamiliar H&S, and that many were used for medicinal purposes yet were grouped with H&S used for culinary purposes, sometimes even on the same shelf. These findings support the following implications: 1) inclusion of community members in nutrition education materials development is essential for cultural relevance; 2) nutrition educators could benefit from additional cultural cuisine training; and 3) approaching the study of non-Western cultures with an ethnocentric bias may prohibit a thorough understanding of how people may use H&S at home.
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