تاثیر برنامه تغییر عادات بر روی بهداشت روانی افراد چاق در خدمت زنان آمریکایی آفریقایی تبار

Background Obesity is a critical social and health issue, adversely impacting life expectancy, quality of life, and mental health. Minorities are disproportionately impacted by obesity with African Americans experiencing the highest prevalence among minority groups. Purpose The aim of this study was to determine if a lifestyle program that integrated chair exercises, nutrition and educational counseling, and scripture readings would help under-served obese African American women make lifestyle changes that would positively impact their quality of life, especially mental health. Methods A repeated measures intervention study was conducted (24-weeks). Weeks 1–12 involved meeting twice a week for a total of 4 h with participants engaged in chair exercises, educational counseling, and scripture readings. During weeks 13–24, the participants were "on their own" but were encouraged to exercise and eat healthy. Focus groups were held at 12 and 24-weeks. Participants were recruited from a nurse managed center and a primary care clinic for the uninsured. Mental health data were collected at baseline, 12, and 24-weeks. The Medical Outcomes Study Short Form Version 2 (SF-36v2) was used to measure changes in mental health. Higher scores indicate better perceived health status. Group scores less than 47 indicate impaired functioning. Findings 55 women had complete data for all three data collection points, with a mean age of 50 and a mean BMI of 41.2. Repeated ANOVAs detected significant differences on the mental component summary of the SF-36v2: this score improved from baseline (M = 44.1) to 12-weeks (M = 50.7) but decreased at 24-weeks (M = 47.9) (p = .000). The four domains (vitality, social functioning, role emotional, mental health) were also significantly different over the three data collection points.

The present study adds to the current literature on the relationship between a lifestyle change program and mental health outcomes by showing that even modest weight loss can facilitate improved mental health. Moreover, the present study expands the current literature by demonstrating that low income and underserved urban African American women, a population under-represented in the lifestyle change literature, are as committed to improving their health as more affluent women, despite the myriad of barriers they encounter on a daily basis.