A Church-based Culturally Sensitive Physical Activity Intervention in African American Women

2020 ◽  
pp. 019394592096140
Author(s):  
Elicia S. Collins ◽  
Susan W. Buchholz ◽  
Joan Cranford ◽  
Megan A. McCrory
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Culturally Sensitive ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
American Women ◽  
Study Results

The purpose of this pilot study was to test a church-based, culturally sensitive, six-week intervention called GET FIT DON’T QUIT. The intervention aimed to increase knowledge and change beliefs about physical activity, and to improve social facilitation to increase self-regulation, in order to promote physical activity in African-American women. A two-group pretest/posttest, quasi-experimental design was conducted in a convenience sample ( N = 37) of African-American women. Participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group by church affiliation. The six-week intervention consisted of teaching and roundtable discussions, and email reminders to be physically active. There were significant differences ( p < .05) in the level of self-efficacy, self-regulation, and friend social support. There were no significant differences in knowledge of physical activity guidelines, beliefs, and family social support. These pilot study results suggested that multiple factors are associated with physical activity engagement in African-American women.

The Feasibility and Acceptability of the Developing Real Incentives and Volition for Exercise (DRIVE) Program: A Pilot Study for Promoting Physical Activity in African American Women

2020 ◽  
pp. 152483992093957
Author(s):  
Allison M. Sweeney ◽  
Dawn K. Wilson ◽  
Nicole Zarrett ◽  
M. Lee Van Horn ◽  
Kenneth Resnicow
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Process Evaluation ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Autonomous Motivation ◽  
Behavioral Skills ◽  
American Women

Background. The purpose of the current article is to demonstrate how formative process evaluation was used in a pilot study to optimize the design and implementation of two motivationally targeted community-based physical activity (PA) interventions for inactive African American women. Method. Fifteen African American women (M age: 41.6 years) were randomized to a challenge-focused program targeted toward high autonomous motivation or a rewards-focused program targeted toward low autonomous motivation. The challenge-focused program targeted enjoyment and valuation of PA and a team-based positive social climate through competitive intergroup activities and team-based goals, whereas the rewards-focused program targeted PA interest, competency, and partner-based social support through a walking program, individual-based goals with financial incentives, and partner-based action-plans. Results. Feedback from participants revealed high levels of acceptability of essential elements. Average weekly attendance exceeded the a priori goal of ≥75% of members in attendance each week. External systematic observation demonstrated that session content dose was ≥93% in both programs. Facilitator-level fidelity exceeded the a priori goal of averaging ≥3 on a 4-point scale for behavioral skills, communication, autonomy support, and session content. The process evaluation also revealed areas for improvement, including facilitator-level social support and behavioral skills at the group-level. Process data collected through FitBits revealed that participants were engaged in self-monitoring PA during the 6-week programs. Conclusions. The formative process evaluation demonstrated adequate levels of feasibility and acceptability and also provided key insights into adjustments needed before proceeding with implementing the motivationally targeted group-based programs in a larger randomized study.

scholarly journals Community Engagement in the Development of an mHealth-Enabled Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Intervention (Step It Up): Pilot Focus Group Study (Preprint)

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joniqua Nashae Ceasar ◽  
Sophie Elizabeth Claudel ◽  
Marcus R Andrews ◽  
Kosuke Tamura ◽  
Valerie Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Participatory Research ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Minority Population ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
American Women

BACKGROUND Community-based participatory research is an effective tool for improving health outcomes in minority communities. Few community-based participatory research studies have evaluated methods of optimizing smartphone apps for health technology-enabled interventions in African Americans. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to utilize focus groups (FGs) for gathering qualitative data to inform the development of an app that promotes physical activity (PA) among African American women in Washington, DC. METHODS We recruited a convenience sample of African American women (N=16, age range 51-74 years) from regions of Washington, DC metropolitan area with the highest burden of cardiovascular disease. Participants used an app created by the research team, which provided motivational messages through app push notifications and educational content to promote PA. Subsequently, participants engaged in semistructured FG interviews led by moderators who asked open-ended questions about participants’ experiences of using the app. FGs were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim, with subsequent behavioral theory-driven thematic analysis. Key themes based on the Health Belief Model and emerging themes were identified from the transcripts. Three independent reviewers iteratively coded the transcripts until consensus was reached. Then, the final codebook was approved by a qualitative research expert. RESULTS In this study, 10 main themes emerged. Participants emphasized the need to improve the app by optimizing automation, increasing relatability (eg, photos that reflect target demographic), increasing educational material (eg, health information), and connecting with community resources (eg, cooking classes and exercise groups). CONCLUSIONS Involving target users in the development of a culturally sensitive PA app is an essential step for creating an app that has a higher likelihood of acceptance and use in a technology-enabled intervention. This may decrease health disparities in cardiovascular diseases by more effectively increasing PA in a minority population.

scholarly journals Results of a Culturally Tailored Smartphone-Delivered Physical Activity Intervention Among Midlife African American Women: Feasibility Trial

10.2196/27383 ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e27383
Author(s):  
Rodney P Joseph ◽  
Barbara E Ainsworth ◽  
Kevin Hollingshead ◽  
Michael Todd ◽  
Colleen Keller
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Cognitive Theory ◽  
Self Regulation ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Satisfaction Survey ◽  
American Women ◽  
Culturally Tailored

Background Regular aerobic physical activity (PA) is an important component of healthy aging. However, only 27%-40% of African American women achieve national PA guidelines. Available data also show a clear decline in PA as African American women transition from young adulthood (ie, 25-44 years) into midlife. This decline in PA during midlife coincides with an increased risk for African American women developing cardiometabolic disease conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Thus, effective efforts are needed to promote PA among sedentary African American women during midlife. Objective This study aims to examine the acceptability and feasibility of a culturally tailored, smartphone-delivered PA intervention, originally developed to increase PA among African American women aged 24-49 years, among a slightly older sample of midlife African American women aged 50-65 years. Methods A single-arm pretest-posttest study design was implemented. In total, 20 insufficiently active African American (ie, ≤60 min per week of PA) women between the ages of 50-65 years participated in the 4-month feasibility trial. The Smart Walk intervention was delivered through the study Smart Walk smartphone app and text messages. Features available on the Smart Walk app include personal profile pages, multimedia PA promotion modules, discussion board forums, and an activity tracking feature that integrates with Fitbit activity monitors. Self-reported PA and social cognitive theory mediators targeted by the intervention (ie, self-regulation, behavioral capability, outcome expectations, self-efficacy, and social support) were assessed at baseline and at 4 months. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using a postintervention satisfaction survey that included multiple-choice and open-ended questions evaluating participant perceptions of the intervention and suggestions for intervention improvement. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine pre- and postintervention changes in the PA and social cognitive theory variables. The effect size estimates were calculated using the Pearson r test statistic. Results Participants increased moderate-to-vigorous PA (median 30 minutes per week increase; r=0.503; P=.002) and reported improvements in 2 theoretical mediators (self-regulation: r=0.397; P=.01; behavioral capability: r=0.440; P=.006). Nearly all participants (14/15, 93% completing the satisfaction survey) indicated that they would recommend the intervention to a friend. Participants’ suggestions for improving the intervention included enhancing the intervention’s provisions of social support for PA. Conclusions The results provide preliminary support for the feasibility of the smartphone-based approach to increase PA among midlife African American women. However, before larger-scale implementation among midlife African American women, enhancements to the social support components of the intervention are warranted. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04073355; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04073355

SELF-EFFICACY AND SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN

2001 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. S88
Author(s):  
I R. Mabry ◽  
J Genkinger ◽  
M Guccione ◽  
M Jehn ◽  
D R. Young
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
American Women

scholarly journals Community Engagement in the Development of an mHealth-Enabled Physical Activity and Cardiovascular Health Intervention (Step It Up): Pilot Focus Group Study

10.2196/10944 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. e10944 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joniqua Nashae Ceasar ◽  
Sophie Elizabeth Claudel ◽  
Marcus R Andrews ◽  
Kosuke Tamura ◽  
Valerie Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Participatory Research ◽  
Community Based Participatory Research ◽  
Minority Population ◽  
Washington Dc ◽  
Community Based ◽  
Convenience Sample ◽  
American Women

Background Community-based participatory research is an effective tool for improving health outcomes in minority communities. Few community-based participatory research studies have evaluated methods of optimizing smartphone apps for health technology-enabled interventions in African Americans. Objective This study aimed to utilize focus groups (FGs) for gathering qualitative data to inform the development of an app that promotes physical activity (PA) among African American women in Washington, DC. Methods We recruited a convenience sample of African American women (N=16, age range 51-74 years) from regions of Washington, DC metropolitan area with the highest burden of cardiovascular disease. Participants used an app created by the research team, which provided motivational messages through app push notifications and educational content to promote PA. Subsequently, participants engaged in semistructured FG interviews led by moderators who asked open-ended questions about participants’ experiences of using the app. FGs were audiorecorded and transcribed verbatim, with subsequent behavioral theory-driven thematic analysis. Key themes based on the Health Belief Model and emerging themes were identified from the transcripts. Three independent reviewers iteratively coded the transcripts until consensus was reached. Then, the final codebook was approved by a qualitative research expert. Results In this study, 10 main themes emerged. Participants emphasized the need to improve the app by optimizing automation, increasing relatability (eg, photos that reflect target demographic), increasing educational material (eg, health information), and connecting with community resources (eg, cooking classes and exercise groups). Conclusions Involving target users in the development of a culturally sensitive PA app is an essential step for creating an app that has a higher likelihood of acceptance and use in a technology-enabled intervention. This may decrease health disparities in cardiovascular diseases by more effectively increasing PA in a minority population.

scholarly journals The Moderating Effects of Social Support and Stress on Physical Activity in African American Women

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asia Brown ◽  
Dawn K Wilson ◽  
Allison M Sweeney ◽  
M Lee Van Horn
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Support Groups ◽  
Perceived Stress ◽  
Physical Activity Intervention ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Stress Buffering ◽  
American Women

Abstract Background African American women participate in less physical activity (PA), have higher rates of chronic disease, and report higher perceived stress relative to other race and sex demographic groups. Purpose Based on the stress-buffering hypothesis, this study tested the hypothesis that social support would buffer the negative effects of perceived stress on moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) under high, but not low, perceived stress. Methods Participants were 143 African American women (mean [M] age = 43.94, standard deviation [SD] = 8.62; M body mass index = 37.94, SD = 8.11) enrolled in the Families Improving Together (FIT) for Weight Loss Trial. Average daily minutes of MVPA were obtained via 7 day accelerometer estimates at baseline and 8 and 16 weeks. Results A multilevel growth model demonstrated a significant three-way interaction between stress, social support, and time (B = −0.31, standard error [SE] = 0.14, p = .03). Simple slopes analyses revealed that, at baseline, among participants with high social support (+1 SD), stress was positively associated with greater MVPA (B = 0.49, SE = 0.18, p = .008), whereas among participants with low social support (−1 SD), stress was not significantly associated with MVPA (B = −0.04, SE = 0.14, p = .81). However, at 8 and 16 weeks, stress was not significantly associated with MVPA for either high or low support groups. Conclusions Findings highlight the importance of integrating constructs of stress and social support into future physical activity intervention programs for African American women and the need to evaluate changes in stress and social support longitudinally.

scholarly journals Self-Efficacy, Outcome Expectations, Group Social Support, and Adherence to Physical Activity in African American Women

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Meghan Garland ◽  
JoEllen Wilbur ◽  
Louis Fogg ◽  
Shannon Halloway ◽  
Lynne Braun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Social Support ◽  
African American ◽  
African American Women ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Outcome Expectations ◽  
American Women ◽  
Efficacy Outcome
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