286267
Participant-centered strategies used in a physical activity program for African American women
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
Diana Ingram, PhD, MPH,
Office of Nursing Research and Scholarship, College of Nursing, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL
Background: Researchers report difficulty with recruitment and retention of African American (AA) women to physical activity interventions. Community-based participatory research contributes to successful interventions. Purpose: To present the impact of participant-centered strategies on intervention development, recruitment, retention, implementation and community adoption of a 48-week physical activity program for AA women. Methods: Participants as “experts” engaged in focus groups to identify physical activity barriers and offer recommendations for intervention development. Participant-centered strategies included 1) recruitment facilitated by community partners; 2) cultural competency training of research team; 3) educating participants/ community stakeholders to dispel misconceptions regarding research; 4) flexible operational procedures; and 5) health screening and group visits held in the community. One of six sites will be used as an exemplar of community adoption. Results: A 48-week women's physical activity intervention was developed based on input from focus groups. Established relationships with community stakeholders facilitated study implementation. Formal cultural competency training occurred before and during implementation. An ongoing multi-faceted approach was used to address participants' concerns regarding research including a clarified and expanded consent process. Operational procedures included flexible schedule, e-mail and text messaging. Health assessments and interventions were conducted in the community. Of the 193 women recruited, 171 (88.6%) completed the 48-week program. At the exemplar site, community adoption involved substitution of walking breaks for smoking breaks. Conclusion: The participant-centered strategies are effective methods applied to intervention community research with AA women. Participant-centered strategies facilitate achieving individual physical activity goals by minimizing recruitment and retention barriers.
Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Advocacy for health and health education
Diversity and culture
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Identify participant-centered strategies used in a 48-week physical activity program for African American women
Describe the application of participant-centered strategies to study recruitment, screening and implementation
List the outcomes of following participant-centered strategies including community adoption of the program
Keyword(s): Community-Based Health Promotion, Physical Activity
Presenting author's disclosure statement:Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Dr. Ingram has over ten years of community-based research experience with vulnerable populations with a particular focus on African American health. During that time she has been project director on four NIH funded studies, including two community-based clinical trials. Her area of expertise and scholarship is in recruitment and retention of minorities to community based interventions, with a recent focus on how African American resilience and acculturation influences health behavior.
Any relevant financial relationships? No
I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines,
and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed
in my presentation.
