Using art therapy to understand the experience of African-American girls with childhood obesity

Childhood obesity continues to escalate and impact lives of children in the United States (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011).Approximately 17% of all children and adolescents in the U.S. are obese. This is triple the rate from one generation ago. There is an overflow of research on the importance of healthy dietary modifications and the increase of physical activities to assist with weight loss; however, there is minimal research on the use of art therapy in understanding the experiences of African- American girls with childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a complex health problem associated with psychosocial factors that contribute to its pandemic development (Puder & Munsch, 2010).;A phenomenological methodology provided the overall approach to this study (Moustakas, 1994). Specifically, the aim of this study was to explore using art therapy to understand the experience of African-American girls with childhood obesity.;The study included eight children, aged 12-17 years old. The data included open --ended interviews, artwork from individual art therapy sessions, researcher's observations, and field notes from the 60 minutes of art therapy sessions over three months. Qualitative findings were analyzed and suggested that art therapy was effective as an adjunctive tool with understanding the lived experience of childhood obesity.;There was a review of the literature regarding childhood obesity, the health risks involved in childhood obesity, the psychosocial factors, the definition of art therapy, and its benefits. Relevant articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the review.;Major findings included: (a) children lived experience with the home environment, school environment, and self-experience as an African-American girl with childhood obesity. The children's use of art therapy was a productive tool in prompting discussion of their daily lived experiences. The data were measured using open-ended interviews, art therapy s , and researchers observation in an outpatient health center in Washington, D.C. As a non-pharmacological intervention, art therapy was found to be beneficial; a positive intervention to understand lived experiences from adolescents with childhood obesity, and provided feedback to the interdisciplinary team. Results pointed to the need for future investigation.;Keywords: childhood obesity, art therapy, phenomenological research.