A randomized pilot trial of exercise promotion in sedentary African-American adults.
This study compared the effects of 3 home-based exercise promotion programs for African Americans. Sixty, sedentary African-American adults were randomly assigned to either a standard behavioral counseling group (N=22), a culturally sensitive counseling group (N=20), or a physician advice comparison group (N=10). The key study outcomes measured at baseline and after 6 months included cardiorespiratory fitness and physical activity. Acculturation was examined as a moderating variable. Participants in all 3 groups reported significant increases in walking, but significant improvements in fitness were observed only in the 2 intervention groups. Participants in the culturally sensitive intervention reported significantly higher levels of exercise social support compared to members of the other 2 groups. These findings show that home-based exercise counseling programs are effective for improving fitness, yet the addition of culturally tailored components may not be sufficient to produce better outcomes than standard behavioral counseling.
Newton
Robert L
RL
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70808-4124, USA. NewtonRL@pbrc.edu
Perri
Michael G
MG
D000069:Acculturation; D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D010809:Physical Fitness; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020377:Self Efficacy