scholarly journals Redefining Racial Residential Segregation and its Association With Physical Activity Among African Americans 50 years and Older: A Mixed Methods Approach

2015 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 237-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janelle Armstrong-Brown ◽  
Eugenia Eng ◽  
Wizdom Powell Hammond ◽  
Catherine Zimmer ◽  
J. Michael Bowling
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Racial Residential Segregation ◽  
Older African Americans

Physical inactivity is one of the factors contributing to disproportionate disease rates among older African Americans. Previous literature indicates that older African Americans are more likely to live in racially segregated neighborhoods and that racial residential segregation is associated with limited opportunities for physical activity. A cross-sectional mixed methods study was conducted guided by the concept of therapeutic landscapes. Multilevel regression analyses demonstrated that racial residential segregation was associated with more minutes of physical activity and greater odds of meeting physical activity recommendations. Qualitative interviews revealed the following physical activity related themes: aging of the neighborhood, knowing your neighbors, feeling of safety, and neighborhood racial identity. Perceptions of social cohesion enhanced participants’ physical activity, offering a plausible explanation to the higher rates of physical activity found in this population. Understanding how social cohesion operates within racially segregated neighborhoods can help to inform the design of effective interventions for this population.

scholarly journals Physical Activity, Loneliness, and Meaning of Friendship in Young Individuals – A Mixed-Methods Investigation Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic With Three Cross-Sectional Studies

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia Lippke ◽  
Marie Annika Fischer ◽  
Tiara Ratz
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
University Students ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Mixed Methods Research ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Team Sports ◽  
First Year ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
First Year University

Meaningful social interactions and regular physical activity are inversely associated with loneliness. Using a mixed-methods research design employing quantitative and qualitative research approaches, this research aimed to explore loneliness, physical activity, friendship, and experiences relating to the COVID-19 pandemic both prior to and during the pandemic. Quantitative data of (1) n = 363 first-year university students assessed in 2018/2019 and of (2) n = 175 individuals aged 18–29 years assessed in 2020 were gathered using independent self-administered online surveys. In addition, (3) n = 4 students were recruited for semi-structured, qualitative interviews in 2020 during the onset phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Correlation and regression analyses as well as analyses of variance were conducted. Thematic analysis as a qualitative method was used to explore the role physical activity, friendship, and social interactions played in loneliness, particularly in times of social isolation and social distancing. Results revealed associations of varying strength between physical activity and loneliness in 2018/2019 (r = −0.09, p ≤ 0.05) and 2020 (r = −0.20, p < 0.01). In 2020, n = 73 (41.7%) participants felt that their loneliness had increased since the COVID-19 social and physical distancing guidelines were introduced, but this was not associated with a perceived change in physical activity (r = −0.05, p > 0.05). Analyses of qualitative data revealed three main themes: (1) the lack of deep friendships at university, (2) the positive perceived impact of team sports on feelings of loneliness, and (3) the need for real connection in times of crisis. Thus, with regard to feelings of loneliness during the pandemic, being physically active seems to be a small but potentially relevant factor among young individuals. The qualitative study suggests that first-year university students might buffer the lack of deep friendships and meaningful interactions by building social bonds in team sports. In times of physical distancing, young individuals vulnerable to loneliness may therefore require special support such as doing sports with physical distance and perceiving connected with their team for instance by digital devices and emotional coping.

scholarly journals Using multilevel regression and poststratification to estimate physical activity levels from health surveys

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marina Christofoletti ◽  
Tânia R. B. Benedetti ◽  
Felipe Goedert Mendes ◽  
Humberto M. Carvalho
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Health Surveys ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Leisure Time Physical Activity ◽  
Health Indicators ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Multilevel Regression ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Single Level ◽  
Uncertainty Estimates

Background: Large-scale health surveys often consider sociodemographic characteristics and several health indicators influencing physical activity that often vary across units (regions or states). Data in a survey for some small units are often not representative of the larger population. This study developed a relatively simple multilevel regression and poststratification (MRP) model to estimate the proportion of leisure-time physical activity across Brazilian state capitals, based on the Brazilian cross-sectional national survey VIGITEL (2018). Methods: We used various approaches to evaluate whether the MRP approach outperforms single-level aggregated estimates, with various subsample proportions tested. Results: The mean absolute errors were consistently smaller for the MRP estimates than single-level regression estimates, particularly with smaller sample sizes. MRP consistently had predictions closer to the estimation target than single-level aggregated estimations. MRP presented substantially smaller uncertainty estimates compared to aggregated estimates. Conclusions: Our results confirm that MRP is a promising strategy to derive disaggregated data for health-related outcomes and, in particular, physical activity indicators from aggregated-level surveys. Overall, the MRP is superior to single-level aggregated estimates and disaggregation, yielding smaller errors and more accurate estimates. MRP significantly expands the scope of issues for which researchers can better address participation bias and interpret interactions to estimate descriptive population quantities. The observations present in this study highlight the need for further research, potentially incorporating more information in the models to better interpret interactions and types of activities across target populations.

scholarly journals SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND DEPRESSIVE SYMPTOMS IN OLDER AFRICAN AMERICANS: A 6-YEAR CROSS-LAGGED PANEL ANALYSIS

2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S754-S755
Author(s):  
James Muruthi ◽  
J Tina Savla
Keyword(s):  
Depressive Symptoms ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Structural Equation ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Panel Analysis ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Group Activities ◽  
Religious Services ◽  
Older African Americans

Abstract Although previous studies have extensively investigated the cross-sectional relationship between social engagement and depressive symptoms in late life, longitudinal studies have produced mixed results. Furthermore, studies on the associations between these two concepts among aging African Americans are few. Using a sample of 1688 older African Americans adults from waves 1 and 7 of the National Health and Aging Trends Study (60% women; Average age = 77 years), the present study investigates the longitudinal associations between social engagement (an index from scores on visiting friends and family, attending religious services, attending religious services, participating in group activities, and going out for enjoyment) and depressive symptoms across seven years. Structural equation modeling was used to test cross-lagged relationships between the variables. Findings suggest that social engagement at baseline significantly predicted subsequent depressive symptoms and social engagement. Depressive symptoms at baseline, however, were not significantly associated with subsequent social engagement. These findings suggest that low social engagement in older African Americans is directly associated with increased depressive symptoms over time, but not vice versa. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the barriers of social engagement for older African Americans and its effects on their mental health.

Mobile but Stuck: Multigenerational Neighborhood Decline and Housing Search Strategies for African Americans

2018 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 835-857 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nora E. Taplin–Kaguru
Keyword(s):  
African American ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Racial Inequality ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Search Strategies ◽  
Metropolitan Region ◽  
Middle Income ◽  
Racial Residential Segregation ◽  
Housing Search ◽  
Racial Demographics

While many scholars have demonstrated that entrenched racial residential segregation perpetuates racial inequality, the causes of persistent racial segregation continue to be debated. This paper investigates how geographically and socioeconomically mobile African Americans approach the home–buying process in the context of a segregated metropolitan region, by using qualitative interviews with working–class to middle–income African American aspiring homebuyers. Homebuyers use three principal search strategies to determine suitable neighborhoods: avoiding decline, searching for improvement, and searching for stability. The findings suggest that despite these strategies African American homebuyers end up in areas that may not retain characteristics they desire in terms of racial demographics and amenities, in large part because such neighborhoods remain rare.

scholarly journals Neighbourhood racial/ethnic residential segregation and cardiometabolic risk: the multiethnic study of atherosclerosis

2018 ◽  
Vol 73 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephanie L Mayne ◽  
Margaret T Hicken ◽  
Sharon Stein Merkin ◽  
Teresa E Seeman ◽  
Kiarri N Kershaw ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Residential Segregation ◽  
Cardiometabolic Risk ◽  
Medication Use ◽  
Mean Difference ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Racial Residential Segregation ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Neighbourhood Level ◽  
Ethnic Residential Segregation ◽  
Race Ethnicity

BackgroundRacial residential segregation has been linked to adverse health outcomes, but associations may operate through multiple pathways. Prior studies have not examined associations of neighbourhood-level racial segregation with an index of cardiometabolic risk (CMR) and whether associations differ by race/ethnicity.MethodsWe used data from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis to estimate cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of baseline neighbourhood-level racial residential segregation with a composite measure of CMR. Participants included 5015 non-Hispanic black, non-Hispanic white and Hispanic participants aged 45–84 years old over 12 years of follow-up (2000–2012). We used linear mixed effects models to estimate race-stratified associations of own-group segregation with CMR at baseline and with the rate of annual change in CMR. Models were adjusted for sociodemographics, medication use and individual-level and neighbourhood-level socioeconomic status (SES).ResultsIn models adjusted for sociodemographics and medication use, high baseline segregation was associated with higher baseline CMR among blacks and Hispanics but lower baseline CMR among whites. Individual and neighbourhood-level SES fully explained observed associations between segregation and CMR for whites and Hispanics. However, associations of segregation with CMR among blacks remained (high vs low segregation: mean difference 0.17 SD units, 95% CI 0.02 to 0.32; medium vs low segregation: mean difference 0.18 SD units, 95% CI 0.03 to 0.33). Baseline segregation was not associated with change in CMR index scores over time.ConclusionAssociations of own-group racial residential segregation with CMR varied by race/ethnicity. After accounting for SES, living in a more segregated neighbourhood was associated with greater risk among black participants only.

scholarly journals Healthcare providers’ gestational weight gain counselling practises and the influence of knowledge and attitudes: a cross-sectional mixed methods study

BMJ Open ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 7 (11) ◽  
pp. e018527 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jill Morris ◽  
Hara Nikolopoulos ◽  
Tanya Berry ◽  
Venu Jain ◽  
Michael Vallis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Mixed Methods ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Gestational Weight Gain ◽  
Nurse Practitioners ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Priority Level ◽  
Gestational Weight ◽  
Knowledge And Attitudes

ObjectiveTo understand current gestational weight gain (GWG) counselling practices of healthcare providers, and the relationships between practices, knowledge and attitudes.DesignConcurrent mixed methods with data integration: cross-sectional survey and semistructured interviews.ParticipantsPrenatal healthcare providers in Canada: general practitioners, obstetricians, midwives, nurse practitioners and registered nurses in primary care settings.ResultsTypically, GWG information was provided early in pregnancy, but not discussed again unless there was a concern. Few routinely provided women with individualised GWG advice (21%), rate of GWG (16%) or discussed the risks of inappropriate GWG to mother and baby (20% and 19%). More routinely discussed physical activity (46%) and food requirements (28%); midwives did these two activities more frequently than all other disciplines (P<0.001). Midwives interviewed noted a focus on overall wellness instead of weight, and had longer appointment times which allowed them to provide more in-depth counselling. Regression results identified that the higher priority level that healthcare providers place on GWG, the more likely they were to report providing GWG advice and discussing risks of GWG outside recommendations (β=0.71, P<0.001) and discussing physical activity and food requirements (β=0.341, P<0.001). Interview data linked the priority level of GWG to length of appointments, financial compensation methods for healthcare providers and the midwifery versus medical model of care.ConclusionsInterventions for healthcare providers to enhance GWG counselling practices should consider the range of factors that influence the priority level healthcare providers place on GWG counselling.

scholarly journals New Evidence on the Biobehavioral Mechanisms of Chronic Pain in Aging African Americans

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 784-784
Author(s):  
Staja Booker
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Chronic Pain ◽  
African Americans ◽  
Racial Differences ◽  
Pain Catastrophizing ◽  
Later Life ◽  
Genetic Alterations ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Older African Americans ◽  
New Evidence

Abstract African American older adults are living longer with chronic pain, which presents a huge personal and societal burden. A growing group of scholars are now devoted to accurately and precisely characterizing and phenotyping the experience of pain in aging using within-group and advanced methodological designs to elucidate the biopsychosocial-behavioral responses to pain. In this symposium, five dynamic presenters present new evidence on mechanisms of pain in older African-Americans. Dr. Roach’s investigation reveals the effect of genetic alterations of sickle cell disease (SCD) on stress-related pain in younger and older adults; this scientific inquiry is especially important because there is little research on SCD in aging. Next, Dr. Terry, extends these findings by exploring the association between psychosocial factors such as experiences of discrimination, pain catastrophizing, and perceived stress on neural (brain) responses via magnetic resonance imaging. From a clinical perspective, Dr. Booker reports on the first-ever model of intra-racial differences in movement-evoked pain in older African-Americans with knee osteoarthritis and healthy controls. Our final two presenters use a translational approach to identify how older African-Americans cope with chronic pain. Dr. Robinson-Lane’s study highlights the unique experience and predictors of coping, adaptation, and self-management of chronic pain in Black dementia caregivers. Finally, Dr. Cobb’s research from a large cross-sectional study correlates social, behavioral, and health factors with opioid and psychotropic use in economically disadvantaged older African-Americans. This symposium offers novel ways of understanding social determinants of pain and assisting African-Americans and their caregivers to manage complex chronic pain in later life.

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