Formative research to devepolment cueturaely appropriate interventions and measurement instruments in the pathways study

Formative research was conducted to develop culturally appropriate obesity prevention interventions and to refine measurement instruments for school children in six different Native American nations. In-depth interviews, semi-structured interviews , focus groups, and direct observations were conducted on parents, children, teachers, administrators and community leaders. The Pathways formative research represents the first time these methods have been applied across multiple Native American nations. The protocol was developed by a multi-disciplinary group, including substantial input from Native American collaborators. Analysis of the formative assessment data has yielded three main outputs: a series of cross-site characteristic comparison matrices, a sociocultural reference base of belief's and behaviors relating to food and activity in the study communities, and a set of prioritized obesity risk behaviors. These risk behaviors, occurring both at school and in the community (home), are the framework on which the intervention strategy has been developed and is being implemented. Supported by NHEBI.