Reducing Physical Activity Disparities Among Vulnerable Minorities: Methods and Preliminary Outcomes

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Vulnerable minorities experience high rates of chronic disease. Physical Activity (PA) is an effective preventive behavior to mitigate multiple diseases. Vulnerable minorities have low PA participation. Finding ways to engage PA in vulnerable minorities is imperative. PURPOSE: To describe the baseline data from a community-based wait-list pilot PA trial for vulnerable minorities. METHOD: Forty-five participants from a Midwest urban community were randomized to an experimental (EXP) or wait-list control (WLC) group. EXP participants were counseled to engage in regular PA (>4d/wk for >30 mins). EXP participants received a fitness center membership, trainer, and on-site monthly education to help them develop exercise identity and habit formation. The WLC group could engage in PA if desired but did not have the same research resources. Both groups completed monthly surveys assessing exercise identity, social support, and habit formation. Baseline data included one week of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) and health-related fitness assessments (measured by accelerometry and fitness tests, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Data show baseline measures did not vary between groups. Moreover, our team experienced difficulties recruiting vulnerable minorities. Participant-stated barriers to participation in our study included: 1) Schedule (work, child’s school, etc.) and conflicting life demands; 2) Fear of getting ill or getting immediate family ill (COVID, flus, etc.); 3) Disruption of routine (e.g., children going on school break); 4) The limited hours of the fitness center; 5) Inflation & rising costs of goods (e.g., gasoline, food, etc.); and 6) Issues interacting with PARCS staff, lack of trust. Next steps include reporting final outcomes and developing refined recruitment methods.