CASE STUDY 01
IDENTIFYING UNMENT NEEDS THROUGH FORMATIVE RESEARCH
Exploring Culturally Relevant Stress and Lifestyle Behaviors Among African American Women with Severe Obesity
Overview
Problem Statement
Many behavioral weight loss (BWL) programs underperform for African American women with severe obesity due to a lack of cultural relevance and their failure to address the unique psychosocial and physical challenges faced by those with severe obesity.
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Research Process
Method Description
I administered structured psychosocial and behavioral surveys using validated research tools in order to quantify relationships between stress, coping mechanisms, social support, depression, and disordered eating.
My Role
Affinity Diagram - I used directed content analysis to code and categorize focus group transcripts in order to surface patterns related to the Superwoman Role, Role Overload, and coping behaviors.
Surveys
I conducted 5 focus groups with 19 African American women with severe obesity in order to explore culturally specific stressors and their perceived impact on weight-related behaviors.
My Role
Focus groups (supervised moderator), survey design (mixed-methods), directed content analysis using Atlas.ti, user persona and behavior modeling.
Method Description
Focus
Groups
Key Results
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20% of participants screened positive for binge eating disorder (BED).
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Perceived stress scores (mean PSQ = 0.46) correlated significantly with emotional eating (UFTCS), BED, and depression (CES-D), all p < 0.05.
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Strong correlations (r = 0.62–0.75) emerged between stress, disordered eating, and depression, helping to validate stress as a critical design target for intervention.
Surveys
Focus
Groups
1. The “Superwoman Role” is a double-edged sword
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“I have to be everything to everyone. There’s no time left for me.”
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Self-sacrifice was normalized.
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Asking for help = weakness.
2. Role Overload is linked to unhealthy behaviors
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High caregiving burdens and job stress led to emotional eating, inconsistent physical activity, and guilt about self-care.
3. Stress is a key barrier to weight loss
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Emotional triggers → overeating or inactivity
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Coping mechanisms were often maladaptive (e.g., comfort food)
Conclusion
Impact
These insights directly informed the development of a culturally tailored behavioral weight loss program with a stress-reduction track. See Case Study 03 for more details.