Amy Harley, MPH, RD, School of Public Health, The Ohio State University, 320 West 10th Avenue, B-222 Starling-Loving Hall, Columbus, OH 43210, 614-538-8713, harley.13@osu.edu

The sedentary lifestyle prevalent among many women has manifested itself as a serious public health problem. Inactive lifestyle has been linked to weight gain and chronic disease. Both obesity and chronic disease are serious health care issues for women today and a disproportionate burden from these conditions is borne by African American (AA) women. Despite all that has been learned from the application of theories of behavior change to physical activity, long-term success of interventions to initiate and maintain a physically active lifestyle among AA women has not been realized. This study aims to contribute to further theory development and to inform future investigations of the most effective ways to assist under-active AA women in adopting and maintaining an active lifestyle. In-depth interviews were conducted with AA women who were physically active at nationally recommended levels for one year or more. Interview questions were open-ended and designed to elicit lengthy description from the women using their own words to describe their experiences with physical activity. Initial interviews averaged 1- 1.5 hours with follow-up interviews of about 45 minutes. A focus group was held at the conclusion of the interviews to gather feedback on the findings from the participants. Grounded theory was used to guide the data collection and analysis process. Data derived inductively from the interviews has guided the development of a behavioral framework describing the process women experience in developing and maintaining a physically active lifestyle. The initial framework, its supporting data and its implications for practice will be presented.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session the participants will be able to

• Describe the major factors involved in developing and maintaining a physically active lifestyle among African American women that emerged from this grounded theory study
• . Compare these factors with those in the current literature

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.