Cultural & Technological Approaches to Nutrition Promotion

Spring 2006 - Present
Advisor: Dr. Rebecca Grinter
Georgia Institute of Technology, Work2Play Lab

Considerer these statistics: Diabetes is 60% more prevalent in African Americans than in Caucasians.
In 2002 the heart disease related mortality rate for African Americans was 30% higher than that of Caucasians.

African Americans, like many ethnic minority groups, experience a disproportionate amount of diet-related disease. Public health researchers argue that these health problems are often tied to cultural behaviors, traditions and norms, necessitating careful consideration of these factors when designing preventative programs. In this project, I am investigating how culture influences the dietary habits of African Americans in low-income communities and how technology can be used to facilitate healthy habits.

Fall 2006-Spring 2007 (with Sheena Lewis & Sarah Williams)
We worked with REACH for Wellness, a CDC sponsored program, to recruit participants for a study to better understand the health attitudes and beliefs of individuals from underpriveledged communities in the Atlanta area. This understanding is necessary to determine which aspects of health behavior future technologies should target. In this study, we used focus groups to examine questions such as "What does it mean to be healthy?" In addition, we used participatory design sessions to help participants convey to us what types of health-promoting technology they would like to use.

Spring 2006 I conducted interviews and participant oberservations to examine the social nature of eating among African Americans.

Resources CHI 2006 "Entertainment Media at Home" Workshop Paper, Persuasive 2007 Paper