Adolescent Girls' Nutrition and Physical Activity Habits by Grade, Obesity, and Race/Ethnicity

Adolescent Girls’ Nutrition and Physical Activity Habits by Grade, Obesity, and Race/Ethnicity by Natasha Monique Harrell-Nicks MA, University of Phoenix, 2008 BS, LeMoyne-Owen, 1999 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University July 2018 Abstract An urban southern school district located in the United States identified adolescent obesity as a problem. District records showed that 37% of adolescent girls and 29% of adolescent boys were obese which exposed them to short-term and long-term health consequences. The purpose of this archival multivariate survey study was to gain an indepth understanding of the problem by exploring the problem nutritional and physical activity habits of eighth and eleventh grade adolescent girls (n=3320) of various races/ethnicities and obesity levels to determine how their nutritional and physical activity habits differ. The research questions asked whether there were significant differences between the independent variables (grade level, self-reported obesity level, and race/ethnicity of adolescent girls) and the dependent variables (adolescent girls’ nutrition habits and physical activity). The theoretical framework that grounded the study was the ecological system theory which identifies the child, parent, and community centered factors that predict the weight status of children. My findings revealed a statistically significant interaction effect of the combined grade and obesity levels and the combined grade and ethnicity categories on the combined nutrition habits and physical activity habits. I recommended increased collaboration between middle school and high school PE teachers and increased support from administrators and parents to elevate nutritional education and PA for adolescent girls. My study may contribute to positive social change by providing PE educators with new information and understanding that they can use to develop and justify educational programs that equip adolescent girls with the knowledge to make healthier food choices and increase their physical activity levels.An urban southern school district located in the United States identified adolescent obesity as a problem. District records showed that 37% of adolescent girls and 29% of adolescent boys were obese which exposed them to short-term and long-term health consequences. The purpose of this archival multivariate survey study was to gain an indepth understanding of the problem by exploring the problem nutritional and physical activity habits of eighth and eleventh grade adolescent girls (n=3320) of various races/ethnicities and obesity levels to determine how their nutritional and physical activity habits differ. The research questions asked whether there were significant differences between the independent variables (grade level, self-reported obesity level, and race/ethnicity of adolescent girls) and the dependent variables (adolescent girls’ nutrition habits and physical activity). The theoretical framework that grounded the study was the ecological system theory which identifies the child, parent, and community centered factors that predict the weight status of children. My findings revealed a statistically significant interaction effect of the combined grade and obesity levels and the combined grade and ethnicity categories on the combined nutrition habits and physical activity habits. I recommended increased collaboration between middle school and high school PE teachers and increased support from administrators and parents to elevate nutritional education and PA for adolescent girls. My study may contribute to positive social change by providing PE educators with new information and understanding that they can use to develop and justify educational programs that equip adolescent girls with the knowledge to make healthier food choices and increase their physical activity levels. Adolescent Girls’ Nutrition and Physical Activity Habits by Grade, Obesity, and Race/Ethnicity by Natasha Monique Harrell-Nicks MA, University of Phoenix, 2008 BS, LeMoyne-Owen, 1999 Doctoral Study Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education Walden University July 2018 Dedication I dedicated this dissertation to my son William Taylor, Jr. I know this has been a long journey for me. Your unwavering support, patience, and understanding is the reason why I was able to keep going and fulfill my dream. I love you! Acknowledgments I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my family, friends, and committee members. I am grateful to all of you for your support and motivation. I would like to thank my husband Ronnie Nicks Jr. for your patience and encouraging me to finish. I would especially like to thank my parents Richard and Denise Davison. I would like to thank my siblings, Toriano Stokes, and Deloris Harrell. To my friend, Cathy Davis, I want to thank you for listening when I needed to talk, praying for me and motivating me to continue even when I wanted to quit. I would like to extend my appreciation to Elaine Eisenbeisz and Dr. Katrina Oko-Odio for your support of various portions of my research and being available to answer my questions. To my committee members, Dr. Salina Shrofel and Dr. Antoinette Myers as well as URR Dr. Mary Howe, thanks for the support and guidance during this passionate journey. Finally, a special thanks to Ronnie, DeAndre, Christopher, and William. I hope this inspires you all to make your dreams become a reality. Love you guys! I cannot leave out the family pet G’Nala.