Predictors of retention of African American women in a walking program.
OBJECTIVE
To predict retention of African American women 6 months after initiating a community walking program.


METHODS
Demographics, health status, cancer-related health behaviors, and network membership data from baseline wellness questionnaires of 1322 African American women participating in the walking program were analyzed using multivariate logistic regression models.


RESULTS
Seventy-eight percent (n = 1032) of African American women were retained at 6 months. Network membership was the primary predictor of retention.


CONCLUSIONS
Women affiliated with our comprehensive network, which provides ongoing cancer awareness, screening, and prevention programs to reduce cancer health disparities, were more likely to accomplish the first major milestone of the program.
Baskin
Monica L
ML
UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center, Birmingham, AL 35294-4410, USA. mbaskin@uab.edu
Gary
Lisa C
LC
Hardy
Claudia M
CM
Schoenberger
Yu-Mei
YM
Scarinci
Isabel
I
Fouad
Mona N
MN
Partridge
Edward E
EE
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D003258:Consumer Behavior / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016138:Walking