Interventions Promoting Physical Activity in African American Women: An Integrative Review.
Felicia Jenkins, Carolyn Jenkins, Mathew J Gregoski and 1 others
PMID 26544170WHAT IT FOUND
Interventions for African American women produced mixed results, with many showing increased activity but others showing no change.
Culturally tailored and home-based strategies showed promise, though most studies relied on self-reported data and lacked long-term follow-up.
Key findings
01Of the 32 studies reviewed, 28 reported significant results in at least one outcome, but many of these were mixed because nonsignificant results were reported for other measures.
02Culturally tailored interventions reported significant, mixed, and nonsignificant results, while faith-based interventions primarily reported mixed or nonsignificant results.
03Most studies did not include a follow-up period beyond the intervention, and those that did often found that significant changes in activity were not maintained long-term.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Most studies relied on self-reported physical activity rather than objective measures, which can be inaccurate due to over-reporting. The majority of studies did not include follow-up periods beyond the intervention, so long-term effectiveness is unknown. Sample sizes in several studies were small, and many lacked randomized control designs or comparison groups. There was a lack of studies focusing on older African American women, limiting generalizability to that demographic. The review excluded studies that did not report results separately by race and gender, potentially omitting relevant data from mixed-population trials.
Declared interests
No specific funding sources or conflicts of interest were declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that a significant result in one measure, such as increased steps, means the intervention successfully improved overall health outcomes like energy expenditure or weight, as many studies showed nonsignificant results for these secondary measures. Additionally, the lack of long-term follow-up means these programs have not been proven to maintain physical activity levels over time.