Author: Mary Louise GreaneyPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 260
Book Description
Body Size Perception and Physical Activity Among Older, Urban African American Women
The Effects of Neighborhood Environments on the Level of Physical Activity Among Older African American Women in Texas
Author: Woo Hwa ShinPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
The older African American women living Texas fall into one of the most inactive population segments. Recently, the importance of socio-ecological models on human health behavior and more complex associations between variables have been discussed. Therefore, this cross-sectional study focuses on investigating the trends in physical activity among older African American women, exploring the effects of actual environmental variables that might encourage or discourage their physical activity, and discovering any plausible mediating effects between environmental factors and older African American women's physical activity. The study sample is composed of African American women aged 55 to 84 who reside in independent housing in Bryan, Texas. A total of 282 older African American women's addresses were systematically selected and a self-administrated survey questionnaire documenting the level of physical activity, psychological well-being, sense of community, perception of safety, physical health status, and background information was collected for each of the women. The environmental influences of natural and built environments were defined using two boundaries: 1) nearby home level (0.5 mile street distance), and 2) neighborhood level (1 mile street distance) from the participant's house. The natural and built environments were measured using a Geographic Information System (GIS) and aerial photographs. Results showed that a) walking was the most prevalent type of physical activity and streets were the most popular places for older African American women; b) at the nearby home level, greenery and land use mixture were positively associated with older African American women's physical activity while street pattern and access to commercial areas influenced their physical activity at the neighborhood level; and c) perceptions of crime-related neighborhood problems had significant mediating effects decreasing older African American women's physical activity. The findings revealed that the environmental variables had a distance effects on older women's physical activity. In addition, on a policy level, neighborhood problems should be dealt with using careful insight in order to encourage physical activity.
The Meaning and Cultural Context of Physical Activity as Perceived by Physically Active, Rural African American Women
Author: Allison LenkerdPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : African American women
Languages : en
Pages : 120
Book Description
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.
Perception of Body Image, Physical Activity and Sedentary Behavior Among African-American, Mexican-American and Caucasian Adolescents
Author: Sophia D. DzilenskiGENDER AND RACIAL IDENTITY, NORMATIVE PERCEPTIONS OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY, AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AMONG COLLEGE-AGED AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN.
Author: Shelly ThorntonPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
African American women have a compounded risk for chronic disease development, poorer disease-related quality of life, and chronic disease mortality. While regular engagement in physical activity can reduce these risks, African American women are significantly less likely to engage in physical activity when compared to their gender and racial counterparts. Therefore, it is important to identify factors that may contribute to physical activity and protect against physical inactivity among African American women. Social Identity Theory may offer a framework for understanding gender and racial influences on exercise behaviors. Social Identity Theory posits that individuals strengthen their sense of belonging with social groups by adopting normative perceptions, attitudes, values, and behaviors. Prior research has established associations between gender and racial identity and exercise behaviors as well as associations between normative perceptions of physical activity and exercise behavior. Inferences from prior research suggests there is a link between gender and racial identity and normative perceptions of exercise behavior, however this link has not been established. Female gender seems to be a risk factor for physical inactivity across the developmental continuum, however research examining African American cultural influences on physical activity has yielded mixed findings. This dissertation sought to examine gender and racial influences on exercise behavior in a sample of African American college-aged women guided by the Social Identity theoretical framework. More specifically, this study sought to (1) comprehensively measure gender and racial identity domains and compare strengths of identity across these two domains, (2) examine perceived physical activity norms for gender and race, (3) determine whether gender and racial identity predict physical activity, (4) determine whether gender and race-related physical activity norms predict physical activity, and (5) examine links between gender identity and gender-related physical activity norms and links between racial identity and race-related physical activity norms. A total of 188 African American undergraduate women completed an online survey that assessed multiple dimensions of gender and racial identity, normative perceptions of physical activity for gender and race, and exercise behaviors. On average, participants reported strong emotional and psychological connection to other women and African Americans. They also reported strong, positive feelings towards being women and African American. Lastly, participants reported that physical activity was normative for their female friends, African American friends, and normative for broader reference groups of women in general and African Americans in general. Overall, physical activity was perceived by participants to be more normative for African Americans than for women and more normative for broader reference groups of women and African Americans as compared to female and African American friend groups. In terms of predicting physical activity, the full model of Social Identity Theory was not supported for either gender or racial influences; however, results indicated that both positive African American racial identity and perceiving physical activity as normative for one's African Americans friends were positive influences on exercise behaviors. Compared to racial identity, gender identity did not predict physical activity, but positive female gender identity was linked to perceiving exercise as more normative for one's female friends, establishing what appears to be the first empirical link between identity and norms in the social identity theory literature. Clinical implications of these findings and future directions for research are discussed, particularly as it relates to increasing and sustaining motivation for exercise among African American Women.
Investigating Factors Related to African American Women's Physical Activity
Author: Jahmaad HarrellPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
A variety of barriers to physical activity have been identified and these barriers take new forms in relation to African American women. This study examined how the intersectionality of race and gender play a pivotal role in African American women's physical activity. I sought to understand whether there were differences in barriers and strategies reported between physically active and inactive groups, whether the perception of barriers and barrier self-efficacy were predictors of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and what types of strategies African American women use to overcome barriers. African American women completed and online survey and a subset participated in semi-structured interviews. Results indicated that both physically active and inactive women within the sample faced similar barriers and utilized similar strategies, but the perceived effectiveness differed between the two groups. Both perception of barriers (p= .045) and barrier self-efficacy (p= .043) were significant predictors in a regression predicting MVPA. Analysis of semi-structured in depth interviews uncovered five major themes: Health Perceptions within the African American Community are an Obstacle to Healthy Behaviors; Gender Differences and Gendered Activity Expectations , Hair as a Constraint to Physical Activity for African American Women; The Role of Body Image as a Barrier and a Facilitator of physical activity, and The Role of a Physical Activity Environment in Negotiating Constraints.
Understanding Physical Activity Among Older African American Women: a Mixed-methods Approach
Author: An Intervention to Increase Physical Activity Behavior Among Older African American Women
Author: Karen J. AndersonAfrican American Women's Perceptions of Physical Activity and Diet
Author: Uchenna AgbimPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : African American women
Languages : en
Pages : 58
Book Description
A Walk in the Park
Author: Lauren GarrottPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
In the United States, minorities are less physically active and in turn at higher risk for heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The purpose of my study is to examine the factors that influence physical activity in neighborhood parks and to answer: What aspects of park design and programming discourage physical activity participation in African American women? My goal is to identify barriers to physical activity and make recommendations for improving design and programming of a neighborhood park. The results of my research are relevant to the planning profession because planners can use public policy to combat inequality in the built environment. Many studies have related recreation access to socioeconomic status, race, ethnicity, age, and gender. While African American women are not the only disadvantaged population when it comes to access to recreation, they do have a higher risk for obesity. In trying to answer why African American women have higher rates of obesity, some studies have found that while willingness to participate in physical activity does not differ in white and black women, duration of physical activity does. My research employs a mixed methods approach to understand the barriers to physical activity experienced by African American women, in context of a neighborhood park. This study uses a physical assessment of James Mulligan Park and the surrounding neighborhood within Alexandria, Virginia. Following the physical assessment I piloted a survey to gather information on the barriers to physical activity. The pilot guided a final survey of seventeen participating African American women in the neighborhood. I hypothesized that the perception of park safety will have an effect on the rate of physical activity in African American women. This hypothesis points to a general barrier for all women. Based on literature review, I also expected to find barriers unique to African American women. The study concluded that African American women in this neighborhood share some barriers with all women and they also expressed some barriers unique to African American women. I found that personal barriers like "exercise tires me" was the most common, rather than perceptions of safety. In addition, I found culturally specific barriers, such as "exercising is not my cultural activity" and "I avoid exercise to protect my hairstyle." Based on my analysis of the setting and surveys I make several recommendations for the park and neighborhood.