Cultural Hair Practice and Physical Inactivity Among Urban African-American Adolescent Girls in the U.S

Purpose:  Minority children in the United States (U.S.) are disproportionately affected by overweight and obesity. According to the Youth at Risk of Decreased Physical Activity Survey, minority preadolescent and adolescent girls of low socioeconomic status are at increased risk for obesity due to insufficient physical activity. The purpose of this mixed methods study was to determine the physical activity levels of Adolescent females in an urban school environment and their perceived barriers to exercise.

In the U.S. there has been a decrease in the overall obesity rates among children, however obesity among adolescents, children age 12-19 years old, is still the highest among child groups. Indicating that as children age they are continuing to gain weight (CDC, 2015). According to the 2013 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, between 2011 and 2014 African American adolescent girls have the highest prevalence of obesity (22%) when compared to their Hispanic female (18%) and non-Hispanic white female counterparts (13%), based on a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or greater (Frieden, Jaffe & Cona, 2013).  African American women and adolescent girls are at risk for overweight and obesity, and African American adolescent girls are less physically active than their peers, thus potentiating the risk of overweight and obesity. Obesity is a complex, multifactorial disorder that can result in serious morbidity and mortality if left untreated. Children who are overweight or obese are at risk for a myriad of health problems such as hypertension, high cholesterol, metabolic and cardiovascular disease, and joint problems (Freedman, Mei, Srinivasan, Berenson, & Dietz, 2007).

Poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are associated with obesity among all groups in the U. S. but particularly in African Americans. Despite the fact that regular physical activity can help reduce risks for obesity and related comorbid conditions, most youth in the United States do not meet the daily recommended physical activity guidelines (USDHHS, 2008).  African American female adolescents are not only less physically active than their peers but they attend physical education class less than their peers (Gathers & Mahon, 2014). Quality, affordable physical activity programs such as organized sports and commercial gym memberships are often unaffordable for many low-income families.  Schools are often the only place where urban adolescent girls can participate in structured, daily physical activity through physical education classes.

 Methods: The sample was comprised of 56 adolescent girls 14 to 17 years old from two New York City public high schools. Students were asked to complete author developed demographic surveys and guided interviews were conducted using a phenomenological approach.  The interview content was coded and analyzed.  Descriptive statistics were used to describe the sample

Results: Eighty-four percent of the girls were minorities (55% African American, 29% Hispanic), 5% were Caucasian and 11% identified as other. In this sample 75% of the girls reported that they did not participate in physical education. The reasons they gave were sweating and ruining their hair (55% and 39%). Of those who attended physical education class 44% reported that they are “not active” during the class. Again there were concerns about their hair.

Conclusion:   The majority of the girls in this sample stated that they avoided physical activity and sweating (a sign that the heart rate is sufficiently elevated for health benefit) because of concerns about sweating and their hair. In this sample we found that hair and aesthetics is very important in the African American community, especially for females. Dermatologically, African American hair and the hair of some Hispanics is curlier, more dry and can be difficult to manage. The scalp and hair of African Americans does not allow for frequent daily washing with soaps and shampoo due to conditions such as atopic dermatitis, folliculitis, and over drying of the skin and hair which can cause breakage and other damage (Hall, Francis, Whitt-Glover, Loftin-Bell, Swett, & McMichael, 2013). If hair maintenance is perceived as a major barrier to exercise among a high risk group of individuals, health researchers must explore ways to ameliorate the concerns and encourage at risk minority populations to participate in daily exercise that is beneficial to health promotion. We plan to continue to build on this work and develop an interdisciplinary team that includes dermatology, African American hair care specialists, nutrition and exercise physiology to address the concerning issue of inactivity in minority urban adolescent girls.