Perception and Sense of Control Over Eating Behaviors Among a Diverse Sample of Adults at Risk for Type 2 Diabetes.

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to explore and understand knowledge and attitudes about food, diet, and weight control, focusing on barriers and motivators to reduce risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

METHODS

Six focus groups were conducted in May and June 2010. The groups were stratified by sex. A total of 35 ethnically diverse samples with a high risk for type 2 diabetes participated. The average age was 51 ± 10.6 years, and 57% of the sample represented women.

RESULTS

Four themes emerged from the focus groups: (1) demonstrated knowledge and source of knowledge, including participants' basic understanding of "good" and "bad" food and what constitutes a "healthy diet" and trusted sources of information; (2) perceptions of food and diet, encompassing how participants expressed their perception of and interaction with food and diet; (3) sense of control over dietary intake, reflecting participants' discussion of their perceived ability to control their eating patterns and food choices; and (4) eating behaviors, describing participants' patterns of eating and perceived barriers to eating a healthy diet.

CONCLUSIONS

Study findings demonstrate that eating healthy requires a complex interaction between individual perceptions of food and sense of control over eating patterns and sociopolitical and economic structural factors that restrict healthy eating options while promoting unhealthy ones. Programs for long-term eating behavioral change necessary to reduce type 2 diabetes and obesity need to incorporate strategies that address individual-level factors of perception of food and sense of control over eating patterns, as well as structural level factors such as poverty and food insecurity.