Author: Publisher:
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Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
Understanding Physical Activity Among Older African American Women: a Mixed-methods Approach
Author: Recognizing the Unique Barriers to Physical Activity in African American Women
Author: Madeline GriffithPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :
Book Description
Obesity is the second leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Obesity is prevalent in all populations, however it disproportionately affects African American women. This prevalence of obesity increases African American women's chances of developing chronic metabolic illnesses such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. The purpose of this study is to explore/recognize the unique barriers and facilitators to physical activity/exercise in African American women. Methods: A mixed methods cross-sectional study was conducted to examine the barriers and facilitators to exercise in African American women. Eight qualitative interviews and 48 quantitative surveys were conducted to gather information about exercise habits and barriers/facilitators to exercise. Participants were 18 years or older and self-identified as an African American woman. Results: The mean age of participants was 40 years. In qualitative interviews, participants identified two main barriers to physical activity including fear of injury and motivation. Facilitators included wearing natural hair and more time at home due to COVID-19. In the quantitative surveys, 71.8% of participants reported avoiding exercise due to their hair and 62.5% reported facing hair discrimination. Conclusion: Our study findings have important implications for health professionals and health programs that attempt to promote active lifestyles in African American women. The results suggest that having approaches that increase exercise knowledge levels and provide positive experiences will be essential for improving physical activity among African American women.
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.
Motives for Participation in Triathlons Among Midlife to Older Black Women
Author: Candace Safiya BrownPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 466
Book Description
BACKGROUND: Research has established the positive link between physical activity and its impact on health among adults. Generally, as people get older, they are less likely to be active. Black women comprise 13% of the women in the US but constitute 52% of women who are inactive. Existing articles on exercise motivation among Black women have generally assessed sedentary individuals. Little research has examined the motivations to exercise among physically active Black women. METHODS: Guided by the regulators of the Self Determination Theory, the 56 item Motivations of Marathoners Scales for Triathletes (MOM. S.-T) was used to assess the motives of (N =121) midlife to older Black women (36+) and then transformed into a semi structured guide to interview (n =12) women to further understand their motives for participating in triathlons. RESULTS: Univariate and two way analysis reveals age as a predictor for the four regulators (external, introjection, integration and intrinsic) but BMI and distance are not. Integration demonstrated the highest mean. Qualitative results indicated that construct of self competition and receiving medals are important aspects of participation but are not measured in the survey. A new scale, triathlete lifestyle, should be considered within the MOMS-T. CONCLUSION: Findings were representative of the study population and comparable to previous studies. The survey transformation of the MOMS-T into an interview guide provided additional qualitative explanations of the survey answers demonstrating a secondary method of gathering data as important to provide further understanding about constructs not measured in the survey form of the MOMS-T.
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.
A Theoretical Approach to Understanding the Physical Activity Behavior of African American College Women
Author: Kelly Cherie JuniperPublisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
GENDER 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.
An Intervention to Increase Physical Activity Behavior Among Older African American Women
Author: Karen J. AndersonWhat Moves You?
Author: Audrey AustinPublisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 116
Book Description
Middle-aged and older African American women report the lowest rates of physical activity compared to men, younger women, and similarly aged White women, as well as higher death rates from conditions associated with physical inactivity. Though inactivity among African American women has received increased attention since the early 1990s, research regarding how older African American women successfully increase and maintain their physical activity levels is lacking. The current study aimed to identify factors associated with successful adoption and maintenance of physical activity among active midlife and older African American women. The study also assessed the applicability of the Physical Activity Evolution model as an explanatory framework for physical activity development among this population. Open-ended individual interviews were conducted with 15 African American women aged 45 years and older who reported engagement in physical activity at nationally recommended levels for 6 months or more. Data from the interviews were analyzed using deductive qualitative analysis methods. Results suggest that using scheduling strategies, receiving support from others, and experiencing noticeable benefits of physical activity are key factors in older African American women's progression toward a physically active lifestyle. These findings were consistent with the Physical Activity Evolution model.
Author: Mary Louise Greaney