title: Text Messaging: An Intervention to Increase Physical Activity among African American Participants in a Faith-Based, Competitive Weight Loss Program.
abstract: African American adults are less likely to meet the recommended physical activity guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activity than Caucasian adults. The purpose of this study was to assess whether a text message intervention would increase physical activity in this population. This pilot study used a pre-/post-questionnaire non-randomized design. Participants in a faith-based weight loss competition who agreed to participate in the text messaging were assigned to the intervention group (n= 52). Participants who declined to participate in the intervention, but agreed to participate in the study, were assigned to the control group (n= 30). The text messages provided strategies for increasing physical activity and were based on constructs of the Health Belief Model and the Information-Motivation-Behavioral Skills Model. Chi square tests determined the intervention group participants increased exercise time by approximately eight percent (p= 0.03), while the control group's exercise time remained constant. The intervention group increased walking and running. The control group increased running. Most participants indicated that the health text messages were effective. The results of this pilot study suggest that text messaging may be an effective method for providing options for motivating individuals to increase physical activity.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA. pamela.d.mccoy@jsums.edu.
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McCoy
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA. sophia.s.leggett@jsums.edu.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leggett
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA. azad.r.bhuiyan@jsums.edu.
authors.forename: Azad
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bhuiyan
authors.affiliation: College of Medicine, University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL 32827, USA. dmb2029@gmail.com.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA. patricia.a.frye@jsums.edu.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Frye
authors.affiliation: College of Liberal Arts, Jackson State University, Jackson, MS 39217, USA. bryman.e.williams@jsums.edu.
authors.forename: Bryman
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D012420:Running / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D060145:Text Messaging; D016138:Walking / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs / Q000379:methods*
keywords: African Americans; behavioral theory; health behavior; health communication; health disparity; health education; obesity; physical activity; public health; text messaging