The Effects of A 10-Week Walking Program With Social Support and Goal Setting On Walking With African American/Black Women

Abstract

Abstract African American/Black women have the highest rate of being overweight or obese compared to other groups in the United States. Increasing physical activity is one method used to help solve the complex problem of obesity. Six experiments evaluated the effects of using a 10-Week walking program with social support and goal setting to increase walking with 23 African American/Black women. The first experiment focused on increasing the intensity of steps with African American/Black stylists with social support from the researcher. Subsequent experiments focused on increasing the frequency of steps with social support from stylists to customers they recruited for the 10-Week program. All experiments used a multiple baseline design across participants embedded with a changing criterion design. Results showed that 71% of participants who completed the 10-Weeks met or exceeded their 10-Week goals. Keywords: African American/Black, obesity, women, physical activity, walking