scholarly journals Mujeres Fuertes y Corazones Saludables, a Culturally Tailored Physical Activity and Nutrition Program for Rural Latinas: Findings from a Pilot Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 630 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca Seguin ◽  
Cynthia Perry ◽  
Emma Solanki ◽  
Jean McCalmont ◽  
Judy Ward ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Waist Circumference ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Qualitative Description ◽  
Nutrition Program ◽  
Culturally Adapted

In the United States, Latino adults, compared with non-Hispanic white adults, are less likely to meet physical activity and dietary recommendations, and have higher rates of obesity. There is an urgent need for culturally adapted health promotion programs that meet the needs of the growing Latino population in the United States. We systematically adapted StrongWomen—Healthy Hearts, an evidence-based physical activity and nutrition program, for rural Latinas. This paper reports results from a pilot study of the adapted program. We used mixed methods to assess the feasibility and efficacy of the adapted program, Mujeres Fuertes y Corazones Saludables, in a nonprofit community organization serving rural Latinos. The intervention consisted of sixty-minute classes held twice weekly for 12 weeks and included 30 minutes of physical activity and 30 minutes of nutrition education. To assess efficacy, we used a one-group, pre–post design with overweight/obese, sedentary, middle-aged or older, Spanish-speaking rural Latinas (n = 15). Outcome measures included weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity, dietary behavior, and self-efficacy for diet and physical activity. Process outcomes included attendance, end of class surveys, mid-program evaluation survey, and a post-program focus group. We calculated means and standard deviations, paproired t-tests, and Cohen’s D effect size. Qualitative data were analyzed using qualitative description. Significant changes pre- to post-program included weight (−1.5 kg; p = 0.009), BMI (−0.6; p = 0.005), waist circumference (−3.0 cm; p = 0.008), 6-minute walk test (69.7 m; p < 0.001), frequency of sugar-added drink consumption (−0.7 servings; p = 0.008), fruit and vegetable intake (1.3 servings; p = 0.035), and physical activity self-efficacy (0.9 points; p = 0.022). Participants found the program motivating and enjoyable, and on average participants attended 62% of classes and fidelity was maintained. This pilot study suggests that this culturally adapted physical activity and nutrition program for rural Latinas shows promise in improving physical activity, diet, and obesity.

scholarly journals Enhancing Accessibility of Physical Activity During Pregnancy: A Pilot Study on Women’s Experiences With Integrating Yoga Into Group Prenatal Care

2019 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 233339281983488
Author(s):  
Patricia Kinser ◽  
Nancy Jallo ◽  
Leroy Thacker ◽  
Christine Aubry ◽  
Saba Masho
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Pilot Study ◽  
Prenatal Care ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Group Prenatal Care ◽  
Hospital System ◽  
Over Time

Introduction: Health guidelines suggest that pregnant women should participate in daily physical activity, yet rarely do they meet these guidelines. Means to enhance accessibility of physical activity for pregnant women are required, and yoga has been suggested as a possible method to enhance women’s sense of confidence and competence with physical activity. In this pilot study, our primary aim is to evaluate pregnant women’s perceptions about their lived experience of an intervention which integrates a low-intensity form of physical activity, yoga, into prenatal care; our secondary aim is to evaluate changes in participants’ self-efficacy for physical activity and time spent in physical activity over time. Methods: Held in an outpatient obstetrics department of an urban hospital system in the United States, this pilot study enrolled 16 pregnant women to participate in the intervention throughout their pregnancy. We explored participants’ lived experience of the intervention using qualitative methods (phenomenology). Means, variances, and covariances were calculated for the 2 measures (self-efficacy and time spent in physical activity) over the intervention period. Results: Qualitative findings from focus groups suggest that it is acceptable for prenatal yoga to be integrated into group prenatal care classes and women reported increased confidence with physical activity during pregnancy. Participants did not consider the intervention to fit within the traditional definition of exercise. Women reported increased amounts of time spent in physical activity from baseline to the end of pregnancy, but there were no statistically significant changes in self-efficacy over time. Discussion: The integration of gentle physical activity into the group prenatal care model warrants further attention for potential benefits with regard to maternal physical and mental wellness.

scholarly journals Physical Activity of Arab Muslim Mothers of Young Children Living in the United States: Barriers and Influences

2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 469-476 ◽  
Author(s):  
Heba Eldoumi ◽  
Gail Gates
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
Young Children ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Religious Faith ◽  
The United States ◽  
Sociocultural Factors ◽  
Dress Code ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Arab Muslim

Objectives: To examine physical activity (PA) levels, and how sociocultural factors, acculturation, self-efficacy and religion influence PA levels of Arab Muslim mothers of young children living in the United States.Design: Cross-sectional online survey.Participants and Setting: Arab Muslim mothers of young children (aged <5 years) living in the United States (N=447).Variables Measured: PA levels, sociocultur­al and religious barriers to PA, self-efficacy, strength of religious faith, and acculturation.Results: Barriers to PA included dress code and negative perception of women who engaged in PA, lack of motivation and stress, and responsibilities. Barriers and self-efficacy significantly influenced PA levels (P<.001) but strength of religious faith and acculturation did not.Conclusions: Confirmation of the relations among self-efficacy, barriers and PA levels among Arab Muslim mothers of young children in the United States may help pro­fessionals tailor culturally sensitive interven­tions to combat obesity and other chronic diseases among this growing population.Ethn Dis. 2019;29(3):469-476; doi:10.18865/ ed.29.3.469

Effects of the Youth Fit for Life Protocol on Physiological, Psychological, and Behavioral Factors at YMCA Calgary After-School Care Sites

2009 ◽  
Vol 104 (3) ◽  
pp. 879-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
James J. Annesi ◽  
Gisèle Tennant ◽  
Wayne L. Westcott ◽  
Avery D. Faigenbaum ◽  
Alice E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Vegetable Intake ◽  
Vigorous Physical Activity ◽  
The United States ◽  
After School ◽  
Voluntary Physical Activity ◽  
Cardiorespiratory Endurance

Youth inactivity and inappropriately high weight is a problem in the United States, Canada, and much of the industrialized world. Physiological and behavioral changes associated with the Youth Fit For Life protocol, a physical activity and nutrition education treatment based on self-efficacy theory, were assessed in 7- to 12-yr.-olds ( N = 43) from Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Body Mass Index, strength, and cardiorespiratory endurance significantly improved over a 12-wk. period when contrasted with changes based on normative data. Significant within-group improvements in measures of self-efficacy, vegetable intake, and voluntary moderate-to-vigorous physical activity were also found over 12 wk. Multiple regression analysis indicated that score changes in measures of self-regulatory and task self-efficacy, and general self, accounted for changes in voluntary physical activity. Implications for use of behaviorally based methods for large-scale obesity prevention treatments in preadolescents were discussed.

scholarly journals Worksite Food and Physical Activity Environments and Wellness Supports Reported by Employed Adults in the United States, 2013

2016 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Onufrak ◽  
Kathleen B. Watson ◽  
Joel Kimmons ◽  
Liping Pan ◽  
Laura Kettel Khan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
Health Promotion ◽  
Nutrition Education ◽  
Healthy Eating ◽  
The United States ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Chi Square ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Wellness Policies

Purpose: To examine the workplace food and physical activity (PA) environments and wellness culture reported by employed United States adults, overall and by employer size. Design: Cross-sectional study using web-based survey on wellness policies and environmental supports for healthy eating and PA. Setting: Worksites in the United States. Participants: A total of 2101 adults employed outside the home. Measures: Survey items were based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Worksite Health ScoreCard and Checklist of Health Promotion Environments and included the availability and promotion of healthy food items, nutrition education, promotion of breast-feeding, availability of PA amenities and programs, facility discounts, time for PA, stairwell signage, health promotion programs, and health risk assessments. Analysis: Descriptive statistics were used to examine the prevalence of worksite environmental and facility supports by employer size (<100 or ≥100 employees). Chi-square tests were used to examine the differences by employer size. Results: Among employed respondents with workplace food or drink vending machines, approximately 35% indicated the availability of healthy items. Regarding PA, 30.9% of respondents reported that their employer provided opportunities to be physically active and 17.6% reported worksite exercise facilities. Wellness programs were reported by 53.2% working for large employers, compared to 18.1% for smaller employers. Conclusion: Employee reports suggested that workplace supports for healthy eating, PA, and wellness were limited and were less common among smaller employers.

Mental health recovery and its correlates: Perspectives from 2 countries (Preprint)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiting Xie
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
United States ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
The United States ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Health Conditions ◽  
Mental Health Recovery ◽  
Mental Health Conditions ◽  
Serious Mental Illnesses ◽  
Promote Mental Health

BACKGROUND Many people are affected by mental health conditions, yet its prevalence in certain populations are not well documented. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to describe the attributes of people with mental health conditions in U.S and SG in terms of: perception of mental health recovery and its correlates such as strengths self-efficacy, resourcefulness and stigma experience. With the findings, not only could the knowledge base for mental health recovery in both countries be enhanced but interventions and policies relating to self-efficacy, resourcefulness and de-stigmatization for mental health recovery could be informed. METHODS A A cross-sectional, descriptive study with convenience sample of 200 community dwelling adults were selected, 100 pax from the United States (U.S) and 100 pax from Singapore (SG). Adults with serious mental illnesses without substance abuse impacting on their recovery were recruited. Participants completed self-administered questionaires measuring their mental health recovery, strengths self-efficacy, resourcefulness and stigma experience. RESULTS This study offered the unique opportunity to examine mental health recovery as well as its correlates such as strengths self-efficacy, resourcefulness and stigma experience from both the United States and Singapore. While the perception of mental health recovery and positive attributes like strengths self-efficacy and resourcefulness remained strong in participants with serious mental illnesses across both countries, people with serious mental illnesses in both countries still experienced negative perception like stigma. The findings would not only inform strategies to promote mental health recovery but also enhance the focus on correlates such as strengths self-efficacy and resourcefulness across both countries. CONCLUSIONS The findings would not only inform strategies to promote mental health recovery but also enhance the focus on correlates such as strengths self-efficacy and resourcefulness across both countries.

scholarly journals Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Lanza ◽  
Melody Alcazar ◽  
Deanna M. Hoelscher ◽  
Harold W. Kohl
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
United States ◽  
Relative Humidity ◽  
Air Temperature ◽  
The United States ◽  
Heat Index ◽  
Activity Levels ◽  
Natural Setting ◽  
Physical Activity Levels ◽  
Nature Trails

Abstract Background Latinx children in the United States are at high risk for nature-deficit disorder, heat-related illness, and physical inactivity. We developed the Green Schoolyards Project to investigate how green features—trees, gardens, and nature trails—in school parks impact heat index (i.e., air temperature and relative humidity) within parks, and physical activity levels and socioemotional well-being of these children. Herein, we present novel methods for a) observing children’s interaction with green features and b) measuring heat index and children’s behaviors in a natural setting, and a selection of baseline results. Methods During two September weeks (high temperature) and one November week (moderate temperature) in 2019, we examined three joint-use elementary school parks in Central Texas, United States, serving predominantly low-income Latinx families. To develop thermal profiles for each park, we installed 10 air temperature/relative humidity sensors per park, selecting sites based on land cover, land use, and even spatial coverage. We measured green features within a geographic information system. In a cross-sectional study, we used an adapted version of System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess children’s physical activity levels and interactions with green features. In a cohort study, we equipped 30 3rd and 30 4th grade students per school during recess with accelerometers and Global Positioning System devices, and surveyed these students regarding their connection to nature. Baseline analyses included inverse distance weighting for thermal profiles and summing observed counts of children interacting with trees. Results In September 2019, average daily heat index ranged 2.0 °F among park sites, and maximum daily heat index ranged from 103.4 °F (air temperature = 33.8 °C; relative humidity = 55.2%) under tree canopy to 114.1 °F (air temperature = 37.9 °C; relative humidity = 45.2%) on an unshaded playground. 10.8% more girls and 25.4% more boys interacted with trees in September than in November. Conclusions We found extreme heat conditions at select sites within parks, and children positioning themselves under trees during periods of high heat index. These methods can be used by public health researchers and practitioners to inform the redesign of greenspaces in the face of climate change and health inequities.

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