Attitude should be a key factor to consider when designing physical activity interventions for black adolescent girls: A review

38^th International Conference on Nursing & Healthcare

October 16-18, 2017 | New York, USA

Wanda M Williams

Rutgers University School of Nursing, USA

Scientific Tracks Abstracts: J Nurs Care

Abstract :

The top three causes of death for Black women are coronary heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Contributing factors for these diseases are multifaceted; however, lack of physical activity (PA) has been linked to the growing incidence of these diseases, especially in Black women. There is sufficient evidence to support the benefits of being physically active. Yet, not being PA is significantly higher in Black women, starting with a significant decline during adolescence. A contributing factor for this decline may be attitude, which is shaped by one�s beliefs and cultural factors. The goal of this review was to identify the significance of Black Adolescent girls� attitude toward PA with the aim to determine what factor may promote PA in this group. Regular PA can improve overall health and fitness, and reduce the risk for chronic diseases. The long-term goal is to use the information from this review to design effective PA programs aimed at Black adolescent girls. Maintaining regular PA into adulthood can improve overall health and fitness, and reduce the risk for chronic diseases. Four of the interventions identified in this review that focused on changing attitudes of adolescent girls regarding PA did see an improvement in PA. Overall, this review supports that more effective interventions targeting Black adolescent girls are needed that consider the cultural factors (beliefs, self-efficacy, and family dynamics) that shape one�s attitude toward being physically active.

Biography :

Wanda M Williams is an Assistant Professor at Rutgers University School of Nursing-Camden. She received her PhD in Nursing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro and completed a Post-Doctoral fellowship in the area of “Interventions to Prevent and Manage Chronic Illness” at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Her research focuses on improving health outcomes of Black women and youth through the implementation of physical activity interventions. She believes that promoting better health habits in adolescence will lead to better health outcomes in adulthood. She is also a Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, with over 30 years of nursing experience.