Data Collection

Participants were interviewed individually for one hour in a quiet room in the rural health clinic. A semi-structured questionnaire consisting of demographic information and 5 open-ended questions about the meaning of body weight was used to interview participants. The meaning of body weight questions were developed based on a review of related literature and on clinical expertise of the investigators with the target population (see Table 1). Questions included basic demographic information concerning age, self-reported height and weight, phone number, address, and annual income.

Questions for participants

What comes to mind when you think about your weight?

What do you think changes weight for males in general?

What do you think makes your weight change?

Do you accept your body as it is?

What have you heard others say about weight?

What do you think about your own weight?

What do you do when it comes to his weight?

What things do you think about when it comes to his weight?

What do you think causes changes to his body weight?

Do you accept his weight as it is?

Do you accept your own weight?

What have you heard others say about weight?

What do you think about your own weight?

Interviews were recorded, transcribed and compared to audio-tapes for accuracy and clarification of context clues. Data management and integration of analysis were facilitated by use of NVivo 10 (QSR International NVivo 10).

Basic demographic information including age, self-reported height and weight, phone number, address, and annual income (if known) was collected. In this study we did not have access to data contained in participant health care records and chose to use self-report of height and weight in order to approximate the basal metabolic index (BMI) for participants. The BMI served as a context reference for participant discussion of the meaning of body weight.

Participant self-reported height and weight were used to calculate body mass index (BMI). Weight categories were classified differently for adults versus adolescents per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2011). Weight categories for adults were classified using the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) (National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, n.d.) BMI categories (underweight= <18.5; normal weight =18.5–24.9; overweight=25–29.9; obesity=BMI of 30 or greater). (See Table 3)

Male adolescents’ weight percentile and category and IPs BMI and weight category

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011) Excel spreadsheet for BMI calculations and guidelines for interpreting BMI in children and adolescents 2 to 20 years of age were followed to evaluate weight status of male adolescents (less than 5^th percentile=underweight; 5th percentile to less than 85th percentile = healthy weight; 85th percentile to less than 95th percentile = overweight; equal to or greater than the 95th percentile = obese) (See Table 3).