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Understanding Barriers to and Facilitators of Physical Activity and Stress Management among Bangladeshi Immigrants in New York City Using Qualitative Methods
Methods: Participants were purposively recruited from community-based settings. Gender-specific focus groups were conducted by trained CHWs, using a piloted instrument to ensure cultural meaning. Proceedings were audio-recorded for translation/transcription, and coded using a constant comparative approach; Atlas.ti was used to facilitate data coding and retrieval.
Results: Six focus groups were completed with a final sample of n= 67 participants (63% male, 37% female). Mean participant age was 42 years old; Mean years of residence in the US was 12. 40% of females and 50% of males did not meet recommendations for weekly PA based on self-report. 35% reported having Type II diabetes; 63% reported a family history of diabetes. Preliminary emergent themes include cultural stigma around mental health issues, gender and religious norms related to participating in PA, as well as cultural conceptions of weight and health.
Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest a need for culturally relevant interventions that address participation in PA using approaches that are sensitive to faith- and gender-based norms. Additionally, mental health appears to be highly stigmatized, illuminating the importance of education around stress management in the existing intervention. Complete qualitative results are forthcoming, and will include a full thematic analysis.
Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and preventionConduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related research
Learning Objectives:
Evaluate findings from a qualitative sub-study that employed community-engaged sampling methods
Describe demographic, socioeconomic, and structural factors impacting the mental health and physical activity patterns of the Bangladeshi immigrant community in NYC
Keyword(s): Public Health Research, Health Disparities/Inequities
Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been responsible for the day-to-day oversight of this study for the past three years, and as such, am intimately familiar with the study design, implementation, reporting, and analysis. Additionally, I have coordinated numerous state- and federally-funded grants, as well as industry-sponsored clinical trials in the past seven years.
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.