Men on the Move–Nashville: Feasibility and Acceptability of a Technology-Enhanced Physical Activity Pilot Intervention for Overweight and Obese Middle and Older Age African American Men

Abstract

Men on the Move-Nashville was a quasi-experimental, 10-week pilot physical activity intervention. A total of 40 overweight or obese African American men ages 30 to 70 (mean age = 47) enrolled in the intervention. Participants attended 8 weekly, 90-minute small group sessions with a certified personal trainer. Each session consisted of discussions aimed to educate and motivate men to be more physically active, and an exercise component aimed to increase endurance, strength, and flexibility. Throughout each week, men used wearable activity trackers to promote self-monitoring and received informational and motivational SMS text messages. Of the 40 enrolled men, 85% completed the intervention, and 80% attended four or more small group sessions. Additionally, 70% of participants successfully used the activity tracker, but only 30% of men utilized their gym memberships. Participants benefited from both the small group discussions and activities through increasing social connection and guidance from their trainer and group members. These African American men reported being motivated to engage in physical activity through each of these technologies. Men reported that the activity trackers provided an important extension to their social network of physically active people. The intervention resulted in significant increases in men's self-reported levels of light, moderate, vigorous, and sports-related physical activities, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels, and significant decreases in weight and body fat percentage with small, moderate and large effects shown. Including technology and didactic components in small group-based interventions holds promise in motivating African American men to increase their physical activity.

Together Eating & Activity Matters (TEAM): results of a pilot randomized‐clinical trial of a spousal support weight loss intervention for Black men

“…Previous studies reporting weight outcomes during similar time points reported weight reduction up to À2.2 kg. (24,27) In our study, weight reductions in both groups compare favorably to these interventions at similar time points; our enhanced group lost double the amount at the same time point compared with previous interventions (À4.7 kg vs. À2.2. kg, respectively).…”

“…In a randomized controlled trial of older Black male adults, at 3 months, a −2.0‐kg difference was observed between groups (intervention: −2.2 kg, usual care: 0.3 kg) compared with −1.3 kg difference in this study. Previous studies reporting weight outcomes during similar time points reported weight reduction up to −2.2 kg . In our study, weight reductions in both groups compare favorably to these interventions at similar time points; our enhanced group lost double the amount at the same time point compared with previous interventions (−4.7 kg vs. −2.2.…”

Physical Activity Interventions With African American or Latino Men: A Systematic Review

“…General characteristics of the studies reviewed are listed in Table 2 . Two of the studies published two articles each that were included for review ( Adams et al, 2015 ; Cornish, McKissic, Dean, & Griffith, 2017 ; Dean, Griffith, McKissic, Cornish, & Johnson-Lawrence, 2016 ; Hébert et al, 2013 ).…”

Lessons Learned About Motivation From a Pilot Physical Activity Intervention for African American Men

“…Men also showed significant decreases in weight (t(33)=2.86, P < 0.05) and body fat percentage (t(33)=2.63, P < 0.05) from baseline to final assessment (Dean, Griffith, McKissic, Cornish, & Johnson-Lawrence, Under Review). …”