Using appreciative inquiry methodology to develop a weight management program for obese children in New Zealand

OBJECTIVES: Paediatric obesity predicts adult obesity, and alarming new data in New Zealand reveals that obesity among the young continues to rise. In this study, we used a novel solution-focused paradigm, or appreciative inquiry perspective, to explore the factors that influence not just obese but non-obese states (that is, healthy weight as well as obesity), in Pacific adolescents (aged 13-17) living in socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods. METHODS: Sixty-eight parents and adolescents from 30 families were recruited and interviewed, resulting in 15 obese and 15 healthy weight adolescents participating in the study. RESULTS: Our findings showed that, despite living in low socioeconomic circumstances, parents were able to alter their micro-environments to prevent obesity in their children. Parents with healthy weight adolescents had food rules in the home and monitored their children's eating and television viewing time. CONCLUSIONS: An appreciative inquiry approach to obesity research can uncover resiliency factors within families that can be applied to obesity prevention and treatment programs. Implications for public health: Appreciative inquiry methodology is a promising alternative qualitative research strategy for developing health interventions for low-income ethnic minority communities.