The Perceived and Actual Physical Activity Behaviors of African American Women

Moderate physical activity and healthy eating habits among older African American women with diabetes and hypertension: a qualitative study of barriers and facilitators

OBJECTIVE

African American women have a high prevalence of atherosclerotic risk factors. Many of these atherosclerotic risk factors can be modified through increased physical activity and a healthy diet.

DESIGN

We conducted a phenomenological qualitative study on perceptions of physical activity and healthy eating among 26 African American women, 55 years and older. Interviews were conducted and coded for emerging themes on barriers and facilitators of physical activity and dietary behaviors.

RESULTS

Perceived barriers were pain and motivation to be active, limited definition of physical activity, time, preparation, cost of healthy meals, and daily decisions on food choice and preference. Facilitators were a routine of regular physical activity, awareness of healthy food choices, and influence of family.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, participants had a general perception about the importance of physical activity and healthy eating; however, their motivation to engage in these behaviors depends on their definition, personal motivation, and food preference.

Associations between perceived and actual physical literacy level in Chinese primary school children

Background

The concept of physical literacy (PL) is gaining popularity within public health and physical education circles. However, little is known about the relationship between perceived and actual PL levels among school-aged children. The aim of this study is to explore the associations between perceived and actual levels of PL of primary school students in China.

Methods

A total of 327 children (153 boys and 174 girls) with a mean (SD) age of 10.0 (±1.0) years were included for analysis. PL perceptions were measured using the Perceived Physical Literacy Instrument. Children’s actual level of PL was objectively assessed by the Chinese version of the Canadian Assessment of Physical Literacy, 2nd edition, which consists of four domains: Daily Behavior, Physical Competence, Motivation and Confidence, and Knowledge and Understanding. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were calculated to examine the relationship between students’ perceived and actual PL levels, whereas Multivariate Analysis of Variance (MANOVA) was calculated to investigate the gender, relative age differences, and interaction effect (2 × 4) on perceived and actual PL levels respectively.

Results

Significant correlations were observed between the perceptions and actual PL scores in both boys (r = .46, p < .01) and girls (r = .41, p < .01). Low to moderate significances were shown between each domain of perceived PL and actual PL (from .16 to .49). Further MANOVA results revealed that there were significant gender differences in the Daily Behavior domain of actual PL (F (1, 319) = 30.15, p < .001, Wilks’ Λ = 540.88, η²_partial = .09). Overall, boys had both higher actual PL scores (58.9) and PL perceptions (37.3) than girls. Neither relative age effect nor interaction effect (2 × 4) was observed for the current participants in all the variables.

Conclusions

This study is the first to examine the associations between the perceived and actual levels of PL in Chinese children. Additional studies should explore the importance of children’s perceptions of PL when assessing the actual level of PL in physical education and health settings. Girls should be more encouraged by PE teachers to participate actively in physical activities in the school environment.

Positive Outliers Among African American Women and the Factors Associated with Long-Term Physical Activity Maintenance

Studying positive outliers, individuals who have achieved success with long-term (> 6-month) physical activity (PA) engagement, may be an important approach for understanding strategies for improving leisure-time PA maintenance among African American (AA) women. This cross-sectional, mixed-methods study (1) examined the personal characteristics, PA patterns, and behavioral practices of positive outliers among AA women and (2) compared characteristics of those who maintain PA at recommended levels (HIGH, ≥ 150 min/week > 6 months) with those who maintain low PA volumes (LOW, < 150 min/week > 6 months). A large sample of positive outliers completed this study (n = 290), and most became physically active on their own (76.2%). These AA women were committed to maintaining an active lifestyle, accumulated 249.7 ± 105.8 min of PA/week, and engaged in a variety of activities. Their behavioral practices included scheduling PA during the week (85.9%), goal-setting (82.4%), engaging in PA with others (55.9%), self-monitoring (78.3%), and having a backup plan for missed sessions (54.8%). HIGH maintainers (84.9%) made up most of the sample, and these women were characteristically similar to LOW maintainers with few differences. HIGH maintainers have been active longer, achieved higher commitment scores, and engaged in PA at a higher frequency, duration, and intensity, resulting in higher weekly PA volume compared to LOW maintainers (273.8 ± 96.1 vs. 114.4 ± 24.3 min per week, p ≤ 0.001). Our findings identify factors that may be important for successful PA maintenance among AA women and may help to inform the development of effective behavioral interventions to promote sustained, long-term PA engagement in this population.

Mind-Body Therapies for African-American Women at Risk for Cardiometabolic Disease: A Systematic Review

Background

A major determinant in cardiometabolic health is metabolic syndrome (MetS), a cluster of symptoms that portend the development of cardiovascular disease (CVD). As mind-body therapies are thought to help in lowering physiological and environmental CVD risk factors including blood pressure and psychological stress, they may also be beneficial for the primary prevention of CVD.

Objectives

To synthesize and summarize existing knowledge on the effectiveness of mind-body therapies on MetS outcomes in African-American (AA) women, a US subpopulation at high risk for CVD.

Search Methods

A systematic search of eight databases was conducted in order to identify published papers addressing the topic. We included trials involving AA adult women, ages 18–64, and we included RCTs that involved multifactorial interventions. Outcomes of interest were MetS, chronic disease, and CVD risk factors (blood pressure, blood lipids, blood glucose, BMI, waist circumference, and mental health domains). Two authors independently selected trials for inclusion, extracted data, and assessed risks of bias.

Main Results

We identified five trials for inclusion in this review. One study reported outcomes associated with the full MetS symptom cluster. The included trials were small, short term, and at high risk of bias. All interventions lasted at least 6 weeks.