142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition

Annual Meeting Recordings are now available for purchase

302121
Understanding Barriers to and Facilitators of Physical Activity and Stress Management among Bangladeshi Immigrants in New York City Using Qualitative Methods

142nd APHA Annual Meeting and Exposition (November 15 - November 19, 2014): http://www.apha.org/events-and-meetings/annual
Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Lindsey Riley, MPH , Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY
Gulnahar Alam , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Mamnunul Haq , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
MD Taher , NYU School of Medicine, Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, New York, NY
Laura Wyatt, MPH , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
S. Darius Tandon, PhD , Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, New York, NY
Michael Tanner, MD , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, DREAM Project Coalition, New York, NY
Purnima Naik, MD , NYU School of Medicine, Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, DREAM Project Coalition, New York, NY
Shahnaz Yousuf , NYU School of Medicine, Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, DREAM Project Coalition, New York, NY
Runi Mukherji-Ratnam, PhD , NYU School of Medicine, Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, DREAM Project Coalition, New York, NY
Mariano Rey, MD , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Chau Trinh-Shevrin, DPH , Department of Population Health, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Nadia Islam, PhD , Center for the Study of Asian American Health, NYU Institute of Community Health and Research, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY
Background:  Findings from a Community Health Worker (CHW) intervention to improve diabetic management among Bangladeshis in NYC reveal low rates of physical activity (PA) among study participants, frequently coupled with high rates of reported stress and anxiety.  A qualitative sub-study was conducted to better understand factors impacting the mental health and PA patterns of the Bangladeshi immigrant community of NYC.

Methods: Participants were purposively recruited from community-based settings. Gender-specific focus groups were conducted by trained CHWs, using a piloted instrument to ensure cultural meaning.  Proceedings were audio-recorded for translation/transcription, and coded using a constant comparative approach; Atlas.ti was used to facilitate data coding and retrieval.

Results: Six focus groups were completed with a final sample of n= 67 participants (63% male, 37% female). Mean participant age was 42 years old; Mean years of residence in the US was 12.  40% of females and 50% of males did not meet recommendations for weekly PA based on self-report.  35% reported having Type II diabetes; 63% reported a family history of diabetes. Preliminary emergent themes include cultural stigma around mental health issues, gender and religious norms related to participating in PA, as well as cultural conceptions of weight and health.

Conclusion: Preliminary results suggest a need for culturally relevant interventions that address participation in PA using approaches that are sensitive to faith- and gender-based norms. Additionally, mental health appears to be highly stigmatized, illuminating the importance of education around stress management in the existing intervention. Complete qualitative results are forthcoming, and will include a full thematic analysis.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Evaluate findings from a qualitative sub-study that employed community-engaged sampling methods Describe demographic, socioeconomic, and structural factors impacting the mental health and physical activity patterns of the Bangladeshi immigrant community in NYC

Keyword(s): Public Health Research, Health Disparities/Inequities

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have been responsible for the day-to-day oversight of this study for the past three years, and as such, am intimately familiar with the study design, implementation, reporting, and analysis. Additionally, I have coordinated numerous state- and federally-funded grants, as well as industry-sponsored clinical trials in the past seven years.
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.