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The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an intervention utilizing individual buddy support to increase physical activity in African American women. The current study was a 10-week, pretest/post-test, quasi-experimental design that was conducted at two churches in Toledo, Ohio. Members of one church served as the intervention group and members of the second church served as the comparison group. The participants were African American women (25 in the comparison group and 28 in the intervention group). Women in the intervention group were required to recruit and enlist the help of a "buddy" that was to provide social support for physical activity. Both groups completed the following data collection measures at pretest and post-test: 1) social support for exercise survey (SSES), 2) rapid assessment of physical activity survey (RAPA), 3) body weight and height, 4) diastolic and systolic blood pressure and, 5) a six-minute walk test. Participants in both groups also received educational information on healthy living, a pedometer to serve as a cue to action for walking, and instructions to record daily pedometer steps and physical activity minutes. The intervention group alone was required to identify a buddy, record the number of minutes per day spent interacting with the buddy, and the type of interaction with the buddy. Seven women dropped out of the comparison group leaving a total of 18 women that completed the study. One participant in the intervention group did not submit physical activity minutes but was included in the analyses for all other measures. The average age of women in the study was 46 years of age (SD = 10). The vast majority of participants (82%) had at least some college education and 76% had households comprised of 2 to 4 persons. About two thirds of participants worked fulltime outside the home. A majority (43%) of participants was married and 38% had gross household incomes greater than $75,000. No statistically significant differences in demographic characteristics were detected between the intervention and comparison groups. According to participants' daily logs at week one and at week ten of the study, physical activity minutes decreased during the study for both groups ( - 49 minutes intervention/-1 minute comparison group). For the intervention group only, the RAPA I score increased in a statistically significant way. By the end of the study, 61% of the intervention group and 44% of the comparison group was in the "active" range on their RAPA I scores. For both groups, there were no statistically significant differences over time in mean social support scores for friend social support. However, in the intervention group, family social support scores increased in a statistically significant way. There was no statistically significant correlation between social support, RAPA I scores, and physical activity minutes. Analysis of the physiologic measures revealed that body mass index statistically significantly decreased over the course of the study for the comparison group only. In contrast, only the intervention group experienced a statistically significantly increase in endurance as measured by the six-minute walk test. There were no statistically significant changes in systolic and diastolic blood pressures for either group. The findings from the current study do not support the effectiveness of the buddy support intervention in increasing self-reported physical activity minutes. However, RAPA I scores, six-minute walk test distance, and family social support scores did improve over time for the intervention group. The lack of statistical power in the current study and the many limitations make it difficult to state any conclusions with confidence.
Physical inactivity is the fourth leading risk factor for death worldwide, and is a major contributor for a number of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and cancer in the United States (CDC, 2014; World Health Organization, 2010). This public health problem is more prevalent among African American women who have been diagnosed with chronic health conditions and live sedentary lifestyles. Therefore, identifying strategies that contribute to improving physical activity levels are warranted for this population. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between participation in faith-based groups and physical activity levels among African American women in faith communities. The Health Promotion Model was used as the theoretical framework to explore how motivational significance of physical and psychosocial variables influence health behavioral outcomes. A descriptive correlational design was conducted using a convenience sample of 115 African American women 21 - 64 years of age. The participants were recruited from eight predominantly African American faith communities located in north-central Texas. Demographics, health conditions, and health promoting physical activity data were collected at baseline. Then participants were instructed to record their faith-based group participation and pedometer readings on a daily tracking record over a 14 consecutive day study period. Data were then collected at the end of the study period. Bivariate analyses using the Pearson Product-Moment Correlation Coefficient, revealed a significant association between participation in faith-based groups r(79) = .282, p = .011 and pedometer readings. Correlational findings using the Spearman's Rank Correlation Coefficient revealed faith-based support approached statistical significance rs(79) = .215, p = .053 with pedometer readings. Education rs(112) = .252, p = .007 and income rs(109) = .285, p = .002 were significantly associated with the health promoting physical activity subscale mean scores of the Health Promoting Lifestyle Profile II questionnaire. Health promoting physical activity scores were significantly and negatively associated rs(115) = -.299, p = .001 with current health conditions. Examining the impact of social and cultural approaches to physical activity participation would contribute to the current body of knowledge, and identify strategies that contribute to improving health promoting physical activity practices. The implications for the study revealed that inadequate progression has been made to improve physical activity levels in African American women, and that future research is warranted for exploring increased physical activity participation and decreased attrition rates in at risk populations.
Abstract: The sedentary lifestyle prevalent among many women has manifested itself as a serious public health problem. Inactive lifestyle has been linked to obesity and chronic disease, both serious health care issues for women today, and a disproportionate burden from these conditions is borne by African American women. Despite all that has been learned from the application of behavioral change theories to physical activity, long-term success of interventions to initiate and maintain a physically active lifestyle among African American women has not been realized. This study aimed to contribute to further theory development and to inform future investigations of the most effective ways to assist inactive African American women in maintaining an active lifestyle. Interviews were conducted with 15 African American women between the ages of 25-45 who were physically active at nationally recommended levels for one year or more. Interview questions were open-ended and designed to elicit lengthy accounts from the women using their own words to describe their experiences with physical activity. Focus groups were held at the conclusion of the interviews to gather feedback on the findings from the participants. Grounded theory was used to guide the data collection and analysis process. Data derived inductively from the interviews and focus groups guided the development of a process theory of physical activity evolution. The Physical Activity Evolution process theory identifies three key phases in the adoption and maintenance process: Initiation, Transition, and Integration. The dynamic nature of long-term physical activity participation is exemplified by modification and cessation loops. Important context and conditions within which this process takes place also emerged from the study including planning methods, social support, benefits, and the influence of African American race/culture. This study has made an important contribution to knowledge of the evolution of physical activity participation among African American women. The concept of investigating health behaviors in context and among people who have successfully incorporated those behaviors into their daily lives should be further utilized in research studies. By studying women who have successfully adopted a behavior, strategies to overcome known barriers can be elucidated and applied to intervention planning for other women.
Background - The health problems of overweight and obesity are growing concerns in the United States and in many parts of the world. At the time of this study, African American women had the highest mortality and obesity rates of any other racial/ethnic group in this country, and the highest level of physical inactivity (CDC, 2008; OMHRC, 2007). Research has suggested that despite African American women's awareness of the benefits of physical activity their rates of physical activity have remained low. A need existed to understand how physically active African American women, particularly those who resided in a rural area, perceived and experienced physical activity. Objective - The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore the meaning and cultural context of physical activity among physically active, rural African American women, and to understand how they related physical activity and overweight to their health status. Methodology - To achieve this purpose, the researcher conducted 4 in-depth, open-ended focus group interviews in North Carolina. A qualitative methodology using a phenomenological approach enabled the researcher to better understand the meaning and sociocultural influences that the participants associated with physical activity participation. Analysis of verbatim transcriptions of the focus group interviews involved immersion, coding, categorizing, and identifying themes that emerged from the data. Results - Several primary themes emerged from the data from this study that revealed the participants experience of physical activity. These themes included perceptions of personal health, the evolution of physical activity, body image and overweight, social support, barriers, societal views of African American health status, and health related education. This chapter explored themes and various subthemes in order to get a more in-depth view of the participants' experience of physical activity, and definitions of physical activity and overweight as they relate to health in the minds of the participants. Conclusion - Health education programming aimed at this target population group must recognize several factors in order to provide culturally appropriate programs: the motivating factors of this population group; the association between size, overweight and health; their perception of what types of physical activities are appropriate; their support needs; the barriers that they face. In addition, it is important to provide education regarding their risks as well as information on how to get the information that they need to address these risks from their medical provider.