Paper
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Culturally-Specific Dance to Promote Weight Loss in African American Women
Carolyn J. Murrock, RN, MSN, PhD, Nursing, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
| Learning Objective #1: recognize culturally-specific dance as an intervention to promote weight loss. |
| Learning Objective #2: state how the culturally-specific dance intervention was modified to include those with and without limitations. |
A culturally-specific dance intervention was tested to decrease body weight and body fat in sedentary African American women from baseline to 8 weeks, and its maintaining effect at 18 weeks, compared to women who did not receive the intervention. The culturally-specific dance intervention was two times per week for 8 weeks, choreographed to gospel music, and was taught by an African American woman. Two African American churches were randomly assigned to either the experimental or comparison group to control for diffusion of treatment. The sample consisted of 126 participants (66 experimental and 60 comparison group) and ages ranged from 36-82 years. Body weight in pounds (standard physicians scales) and body fat (arm to arm bioelectrical impedance analyzer) were assessed at all three time points. There were no significant differences between groups in body weight and body fat or the covariates of age, co-morbidity, and socioeconomic status at baseline. Analysis of covariance revealed significant reduction in body weight by group at 8 weeks (p<.05; F=7.65) and at 18 weeks (p<.05; F=9.02). Decreased body weight remained at 18 weeks as hierarchical regression was significant (p<.001; F=584.11) and explained 97% of the decrease when controlling for baseline covariates. Also, ANCOVA showed a significant reduction in body fat by group at 8 weeks (p<.05; F=6.70) and at 18 weeks (p<.001; F=15.63). Decreased body fat remained at 18 weeks as hierarchical regression was significant (p<.001; F=88.12) and explained 82% of the decrease in body fat when controlling for baseline covariates. Thus, the culturally-specific dance intervention decreased body weight and body fat from baseline to 8 weeks and was maintained at 18 weeks in those who received the intervention compared to those who did not. This study supported culturally-specific dance as an intervention to decrease body weight and body fat in sedentary African American women.