Cultural norms led to some of the
negative beliefs and non-diet related behavior changes.
Women lived in extended families as most were unmarried
and young. Therefore, they were not responsible for
shopping or cooking. Teenage pregnancy was considered
the norm in this population which explains why parity was
so high in this age group; many of our participants had had
their first child before the age of 18. Cultural food preferences
(both African American and Hispanic) included
many high-fat and fried foods that were mentioned as
pregnancy cravings and excluded a variety of fruits and
vegetables that were recommended by health care providers.
Women talked about a high prevalence of substance
abuse in the community and being users since they were
teenagers. Media was mentioned several times with regard
to disturbing anti-smoking public service announcements
which helped motivate women to quit smoking.