Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Jan 26, 2021
Date Accepted: Mar 9, 2021
Results of a Culturally Tailored Smartphone-delivered Physical Activity Intervention among Midlife African American Women: A Feasibility Trial
ABSTRACT
Background:
Performing regular aerobic physical activity (PA) is an important component for healthy aging. Yet, only 27-40% of African American (AA) women achieve national PA guidelines. Available data also show clear decline in PA as AA women transition from young adulthood (i.e., 25-44 years) into midlife. This decline of PA among during midlife coincides with increased risk for AA women developing cardiometabolic disease conditions, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. Thus, effective efforts are needed to promote PA among sedentary AA women during midlife.
Objective:
To examine the acceptability and feasibility of a culturally tailored, smartphone-delivered PA intervention, originally developed to increase PA among AA women aged 24-49, among a slightly older sample of midlife AA women aged 50-65.
Methods:
A single-arm pre-posttest study design was implemented. Twenty insufficiently active AA (i.e., >60 minutes/week of PA) women between the ages of 50 and 65 years participated in the 4-month feasibility trial. The intervention, entitled Smart Walk, was delivered through the study Smart Walk smartphone application and text messages. Features available on the Smart Walk app include: personal profile pages, multi-media PA promotion modules, discussion board forums, and an activity tracking feature that integrates with Fitbit activity monitors. Self-reported PA and Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) mediators targeted by the intervention (i.e., self-regulation, behavioral capability, outcome expectations, self-efficacy, social support) were assessed at baseline and 4-months. Feasibility and acceptability were assessed using a post-intervention intervention satisfaction survey that included multiple choice and open-ended questions evaluating participant perceptions of the intervention and suggestions for intervention improvement. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to examine pre-post intervention changes in PA and SCT variables. Effect size estimates were calculated using the Pearson r test statistic.
Results:
Participants increased in moderate-to-vigorous PA (median 30 minutes/week increase, r =1.0, p=.002) and reported improvements in two theoretical mediators (self-regulation, r=.397, p=.012; behavioral capability, r=.440, p=.006). Nearly all participants (93%) indicated they would recommend intervention to a friend. Participant suggestions for improving the intervention included enhancing the intervention’s provisions of social support for PA.
Conclusions:
Results provide preliminary support for feasibility of the smartphone-based approach to increase PA among middle-aged AA women. However, prior to larger scale implementation among midlife AA women, enhancements to the social support components of the intervention are warranted.
Citation
Request queued. Please wait while the file is being generated. It may take some time.
Copyright
© The authors. All rights reserved. This is a privileged document currently under peer-review/community review (or an accepted/rejected manuscript). Authors have provided JMIR Publications with an exclusive license to publish this preprint on it's website for review and ahead-of-print citation purposes only. While the final peer-reviewed paper may be licensed under a cc-by license on publication, at this stage authors and publisher expressively prohibit redistribution of this draft paper other than for review purposes.