Variables that may affect physical activity levels in African American females with type 2 diabetes

Type 2 diabetes continues to pose a significant health challenge for the United States. The incidence and prevalence rates for type 2 diabetes are higher for certain at risk populations such as African American females. Personal behaviors including high-fat, high-caloric diets and physical inactivity result in obesity and insulin resistance that are associated with type 2 diabetes. Physical inactivity is particularly common in African American females, and this places them at an increased risk for the development of type 2 diabetes. Certain variables have been shown to influence physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine how selected variables such as family/friend social support for exercise, self-efficacy for exercise, body image discrepancy, exercise variables including physical environment, sense of community, social issues and roles, and socioeconomic status (household income and level of education) influence physical activity levels in African American females with type 2 diabetes. The design for this study was nonexperimental, descriptive, cross-sectional, and correlational. A series of self-report instruments were used to examine the relationships between the independent study variables and the dependent variable, physical activity. In addition, two short narrative questions that asked about physical activity and exercise and a third that asked about physical activity and diabetes were formulated and asked by the principal investigator (PI); the participants' responses were written down by the PI. The sample for the study consisted of 50 African American females who had a documented diagnosis of type 2 diabetes and who were recruited from the diabetes center of a mid-sized hospital. Results of the study suggested that higher levels of self-efficacy for exercise, family social support for exercise, and a decrease in physical environmental barriers may serve to increase physical activity levels in this population. No relationship was observed between friend social support for exercise, body image discrepancy, sense of community, social roles and issues, socioeconomic status, and physical activity levels.