Stephanie F. Kellam

Body Fat and Fitness Improvements in Hispanic and African American Girls

OBJECTIVE The design of effective obesity interventions to reduce adiposity and increase fitness in minority children is a public health priority. This study assessed the effectiveness of a summer intervention in lowering adiposity and increasing aerobic endurance in minority girls. METHODS 99 Hispanic and African American girls and their mothers participated. During the intervention, girls attended daily exercise, nutrition education, and counseling sessions from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Mothers attended 2-h weekly exercise, nutrition, and counseling sessions. Percent body fat, abdominal fat, and aerobic endurance (1-mile run/walk minutes) data were collected at pre- and post-intervention. RESULTS A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to test differences in adiposity indicators and aerobic endurance. Findings indicated statistically significant reductions in percent body fat (p < .001), abdominal fat (p < .001), and 1-mile run/walk minutes (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the effectiveness of a summer intervention in reducing adiposity indicators and increasing aerobic endurance.

Hispanic Maternal and Children's Perceptions of Neighborhood Safety Related to Walking and Cycling

This study examined neighborhood safety as perceived by children (mean age=10 years) and their mothers, and its association with childrens physical activity. For all eight safety items examined, children perceived their environment as less dangerous than mothers (p<0.05). None of the multiple regression models predicting childrens physical activity by safety perceptions were significant (p>0.10). The maternal perception model explained the highest percentage of variance (R(2)=0.26), compared to the childrens perception model (R(2)=0.22). Findings suggest that future studies should explore relations between self-reported and objectively measured safety barriers to Hispanic youth walking and cycling.

Promoting Moderate-Vigorous Physical Activity in Overweight Minority Girls

There is limited research on the types of activities that are most effective for promoting MVPA in children. Purpose. To assess which types of activities elicit MVPA in overweight minority girls. Methods. Sample consisted of 31 overweight (BMI ≥ 85th percentile) Latina and African-American girls (mean age 10.3 ± 1.2 years). Participants wore an Actical accelerometer each day for 8 hours for 15 days to assess engagement in MVPA during their participation in a three-week activity intervention that included traditional fitness, sport skills, games, dancing, and flexibility sessions. Results. On average 62% of participants met the MVPA recommended guidelines (60 min/5d/wk) with an average of 68.5 ± 14 minutes of MVPA across the three weeks. Traditional fitness sessions elicited the highest percent of MVPA (mean time spent in MVPA = 32%), followed by dancing and games (mean time spent in MVPA = 21%), sports skills (mean time spent in MVPA = 18%), and flexibility (mean time spent in MVPA = 7%). Step aerobics and rumba fitness elicited the highest proportions of MVPA. Conclusion. Traditional fitness activities were identified as the most successful in eliciting MVPA in overweight Latina and African American girls.

Comparing High and Low Acculturated Mothers and Physical Activity in Hispanic Children

BACKGROUND Parents represent a key ecological component in influencing their childs physical activity. The aim of this exploratory study was to assess the relationship between maternal acculturation and physical activity in Hispanic children. METHODS 102 Hispanic mothers (mean age 36.2 yrs; +SD 7.3 yrs) and their children (mean age 10.0 yrs, +SD 0.8 yrs) participated. Most of the mothers (74%) were foreign-born, with 62% classified as low acculturated and 38% high acculturated. Demographic, acculturation, and anthropometric measures were completed by mothers and children. Physical activity was measured using accelerometers. Relationships between maternal acculturation and demographic variables and childrens physical activity were examined using chi-square, Analysis of Variance, and simple regression. RESULTS Children had higher physical activity levels than their mothers (t(49) = -7.87, P < .0001). Significant correlations between maternal and childs physical activity levels were observed in moderate (r2 = 0.13, P = .001), vigorous (r2 = 0.08, P = .05), and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (r2 = 0.17, P = .002). Low acculturated mothers were more likely to have active children compared with high acculturated mothers. Maternal BMI and other demographic characteristics were not significantly associated with childs physical activity. CONCLUSIONS Findings from this study revealed an association among maternal acculturation, role modeling, and childs physical activity.