Appearance Over Health: A Phenomenological Study of Obese Adolescents With a Family History of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in a Collectivistic Indonesian Context
Anika Candrasari, Vina Yanti Susanti, Oryzati Hilman, Mora ClaramitaABSTRACT
Background
Obesity is a major modifiable risk factor for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), and Indonesia ranks fifth in the prevalence of diabetes worldwide, coupled with the increasing rate of youth obesity. This phenomenological study explored adolescent obesity as a high‐risk group within Indonesia's collectivistic cultural context to generate qualitative insights that may inform culturally grounded, family‐ and peer‐supported interventions for T2DM prevention. The study does not evaluate the effectiveness of any specific intervention.
Methods
Conducted in Surakarta, Central Java, Indonesia (March 2021–April 2022), the study recruited 11 adolescents, 11 parents, and 9 peers from four primary care clinics using purposive sampling until data saturation. Data were gathered through in‐depth interviews and analyzed using Colaizzi's method.
Results
The majority of adolescents reported being more concerned about their appearance than about their health. The findings also indicated that all groups had limited awareness of T2DM risks. Adolescents perceived intimate relationships as important in shaping healthy lifestyle choices. Peers offered emotional support and encouragement for healthier behaviors, while parents were described as supervising diet and promoting physical exercise.
Conclusions
The findings suggest that health education could potentially address adolescents' appearance‐related concerns as an initial entry point to enhance engagement. For Indonesian adolescents to effectively avoid obesity and lower their risk of T2DM, strategies involving peers and parents may be an important consideration; however, these are presented as implications derived from the qualitative findings, rather than as interventions whose effectiveness has been demonstrated. Future research is needed to empirically test such culturally tailored approaches.