title: Complexity of Exercise Behavior Among Older African American Women.
abstract: Despite the exercise benefits, disparities among diverse older adults continue to exist, where African American women have the lowest percentage of any population group in meeting national recommended activity guidelines. Drawing on the philosophical tradition of phronesis (practical reasoning) introduced by Aristotle, we studied perceptions of the exercise value among 14 older African American women. Three themes included: (1) exercise goals (e.g., effort exerted), (2) exercise reasons (e.g., health benefits, enjoyment and convenience, and activity recommendation), and (3) inactivity reasons (e.g., health issues, lack of motivation, and family responsibilities/priorities). Although most women reported being active, only three participants met the Healthy People 2020 guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities, while two individuals were inactive. Exercise promoters should consider the values that motivate older African American women to exercise, such as the provision of accessible, nondiscriminatory exercise facilities, and not to exercise, such as concerns about neighborhood safety, in designing programs.
authors: Maria
authors: M
authors: Kosma
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Buchanan
authors: Jan
authors: J
authors: Hondzinski
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American; D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D012938:Social Perception; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014481:United States
keywords: exercise values; older African American women; phronesis; physical activity