Impact of a Summer Nutrition and Physical Activity Intervention to Attenuate Obesity in Urban African-American Youth

Authors

Jermaine B. Mitchell, University of MontevalloFollow
Antonio J. Gardner, Mississippi State UniversityFollow
Zachary Wahl-Alexander, Northern Illinois UniversityFollow
Ben Schwamberger, Minnesota State University MankatoFollow
Douglas Craddock Jr., University of LouisvilleFollow
Carol N. Agomo, The University of AlabamaFollow
Myia C. Lang, Southeastern Louisiana UniversityFollow

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.13.04.06

Disciplines

Exercise Physiology | Exercise Science | Health and Physical Education | Kinesiology | Leisure Studies | Public Health | Sports Sciences | Sports Studies | Tourism and Travel

Abstract

Improved eating behaviors and daily participation in physical activity such as swimming might abate the likelihood of African American youth becoming obese. Yet many African American youth neither consume the recommended daily servings of nutritious foods nor know how to swim. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of a culturally tailored multicomponent summer intervention to reduce obesity and unintentional drownings among underserved African American youth. Children (n = 145) participated in a three-hour, community-based intervention for four weeks. Measures of children’s attitudes perceived behavioral control, and subjective norms toward swimming, nutrition, and physical fitness were taken at baseline and 4 weeks later (n = 47). The only post-intervention significant finding indicated an improvement in children’s skillfulness in floating on their back without help. The limited changes in this multi-component program suggested that such interventions need to be longer in duration, intensity, and be required to reduce attrition.

Recommended Citation

Mitchell, Jermaine B.; Gardner, Antonio J.; Wahl-Alexander, Zachary; Schwamberger, Ben; Craddock, Douglas Jr.; Agomo, Carol N.; and Lang, Myia C. (2021) "Impact of a Summer Nutrition and Physical Activity Intervention to Attenuate Obesity in Urban African-American Youth," International Journal of Aquatic Research and Education: Vol. 13: No. 4, Article 6.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.25035/ijare.13.04.06
Available at: https://scholarworks.bgsu.edu/ijare/vol13/iss4/6