Interventions to Promote Physical Activity Among African Americans

Abstract

This article provides a summary of recent physical activity intervention research conducted among African Americans. As prior reviews have been published in this area, the authors updated the literature by focusing on the past 8 years. Overall, there has been an increase in the number and methodological rigor of the studies in this area. Thirty studies published in peer-reviewed journals were included in the current review. Results from 18 of these studies indicated that interventions produced significant increases in activity behavior among African American participants. Recent improvements in this research include larger sample sizes, more randomized controlled trials, and increased use of reliable and valid self-report measures, objective assessment tools, and theoretical backgrounds for interventions. However, attrition and long-term exercise adherence remain problematic in this area of research.