Exercise and good
nutrition improve overall health during pregnancy and childhood. North Carolina
(NC) has a high rate of obesity, yet few programs intervene during and after
pregnancy especially in rural communities. Prior to initiating programs for
pregnant women and children in rural NC communities, we wanted to understand
community awareness, resources, barriers, and solutions.
The purpose of
the study was to assess community awareness, barriers, solutions, and resources
regarding healthy lifestyles in pregnancy and childhood in
rural NC communities. We conducted focus groups in four Eastern NC counties
(Harnett, Hertford, Pasquotank, Pitt). Each session addressed: awareness,
barriers, solutions and availability of resources for a healthy lifestyle
during pregnancy and childhood. Qualitative analysis was done using NVivo.
All communities
have common barriers such as lack of education, limited healthy food options,
high rates of teenage pregnancy, and limited resources for physical activity.
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