Understanding Barriers To Healthy Eating Among Low Income Californians

Background:

California’s adult obesity rate is currently 25.1%, up from 9.9% in 1990, with the highest obesity rates found among the most impoverished Californians (Trust for America’s Health & Robert Wood Johnson, 2018; CHIS, 2014). Low-income Californians may benefit from tailored, personally relevant obesity prevention messages that address the unique barriers they face, via their preferred media channel (Melnyk, Panza, Zaleski, & Taylor, 2015). Formative research was conducted to inform the development of an obesity-prevention campaign that aims to improve nutrition among low-income Californians. The current research examined low-income Californians’ personal values in order to understand how these values shape nutrition-related behaviors, and how personal values are associated with media channel preferences.

Program background:

Formative research consisted of 46 interviews and 8 focus groups (n=74), conducted with low-income Californians in English and Spanish. An online survey was administered in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Cantonese and Hmong (n=1,504).

Evaluation Methods and Results:

Qualitative and quantitative analyses revealed three value-based segments at increased risk for obesity: individuals who endorsed values related to prioritizing personal goals (‘Personal Ambition’), those who endorsed values centered around the need for security and safety (‘Stability-Seekers’), and those who prioritized the needs of family members above their own needs (‘Caring for Others’). Each of these values-based segments encountered unique obstacles to health behaviors and expressed unique media channel preferences. Personal Ambition participants feared that healthy recipes would take too long to prepare, taking time away from their goals. Endorsement of these values predicted increased use of SnapChat (B=.188, p<.001), Instagram (B=.123, p<.05), and Radio (B=.124, p<.01). This was consistent with findings that Personal Ambition individuals were ‘on the go’ and technologically-savvy. Stability-Seekers were resistant to unfamiliar ingredients and feared food waste if fresh produce was not eaten quickly enough. Greater endorsement of stability values predicted increased YouTube use (B=.124, p<.01) and commercial-free video streaming (B=.127, p<.01). Caring for Others participants expressed that family preferences were prioritized in meal preparation, fearing that healthy recipes might not be well received. Greater endorsement of these values predicted increase use of Facebook (B=.141, p<0.05), with a preference for Facebook stories, and Pinterest (B=.114, p<.05).

Conclusions:

For low-income Californians, personal values clustered together revealing three values-based segments at increased risk for obesity. Each segment expressed unique obstacles to healthy behaviors, and distinct media channel use patterns and preferences.

Implications for research and/or practice:

A values-based segmentation approach has the potential to increase the effectiveness of nutrition messaging. Messages can be tailored so they connect with the personal values of the audience, while also addressing the unique obstacles faced by those individuals (ex. for those who valued caring for others, position making healthy choices as a way of showing love for their families). This approach is strengthened by the finding that clusters of personal values are associated with unique media channel preferences, offering direction for dissemination of messaging.