141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

280650
Walk your heart to health: Predictors of participation in a community-based walking group intervention in low to moderate income urban communities

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 4:30 PM - 4:50 PM

Amy J. Schulz, PhD , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Graciela Mentz, PhD , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Sharon L. Sand, MPP , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Cristina Bernal, MPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Gregoria Diaz , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Causandra Gaines, MSW , Brightmoor Community Center, Detroit, MI
Cindy Gamboa , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
Bernadine Hoston , Detroit Center, Detroit, MI
Barbara A. Israel, DrPH , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan School of Public Health, Ann Arbor, MI
Alisha Opperman, MSW , Warren/Conner Development Coalition, Detroit, MI
Angela Reyes, MPH , Detroit Hispanic Development Corporation, Detroit, MI
Zachary Rowe, BBA , Friends of Parkside, Detroit, MI
Sachiko Woods, BA , Department of Health Behavior and Health Education, University of Michigan Detroit Center, Detroit, MI
Background. Health promotion interventions that effectively engage residents of low to moderate income urban communities in physical activity are critical for addressing racial, ethnic and socioeconomic health disparities. Walk Your Heart to Health (WYHH), an intervention designed to promote heart health through physical activity and social support, has been demonstrated to reduce cardiovascular risk (CVR). Benefits increase with greater participation. We present findings examining predictors of participation in WYHH in Detroit, Michigan. Methods. Participants were assigned randomly into intervention or lagged intervention walking groups. Walkers met three times each week at a community site. Walks were led by Community Health Workers. Participation was tracked throughout the 32 week study period, along with psychosocial, anthropometric and pedometer data. We present findings assessing predictors of program adherence for 557 walking group participants. Results. Participants who joined WYHH groups with friends and family members were more likely to maintain participation (p=0.043) compared to those who joined alone. Participants who indicated that there were higher levels of traffic in the areas where they walked (p=0.018) and those reporting a greater number of symptoms of depression at baseline (p=0.000) were less likely to maintain participation over time. Conclusions. Walking group interventions that encourage participants to join with friends and family, and that promote social support, are more likely to maintain participant engagement and reduce CVR. Aspects of the built environment, such as traffic volume, and individual characteristics such as symptoms of depression, should be addressed in health promotion activities in communities that experience high CVR.

Learning Areas:
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describe the walking group intervention designed through a participatory community planning process, and the lagged intervention design developed to evaluate its effectiveness. Present findings regarding factors associated with sustained participation in the walking groups over time.

Keywords: Physical Activity, Community Health Promoters

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am the PI for multiple federally funded grants focusing on biological, behavioral and contextual factors associated with cardiovascular disease, and with the design, implementation and evaluation of multilevel interventions designed to reduce cardiovascular health disparities. The proposed abstract reports findings from one of those federally funded efforts, a multilevel intervention developed, implemented and evaluated under my direction in collaboration with community partners.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.