Hair-Dos May Keep African American Women from Exercising


A recent study from North Carolina revealed that 40% of African American women will avoid exercising to save their hair-dos.

The study’s objective was to “characterize the influence of hairstyle maintenance on exercise behavior in African American women.” A 40-item survey was conducted with 123 African American Women from 21 to 60 years of age but only 103 women completed the questionnaire. Fifty percent of the women surveyed have modified their hairstyle to accommodate exercising and 37.9% avoid it (exercise) all together because of a hair-related issue.

**Note**  We did NOT conduct the survey and are only passing along the findings. Obviously, HARDBODY women aren’t about excuses and are in the gym. If you would like to share your experience as it pertains to this topic, feel free to email us and we’ll explore it.


From http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/journal.aspx

Objective: To characterize the influence of hairstyle maintenance on exercise behavior in African American women.

Design: A 40-item survey with questions concerning hair care practices, physical activity, and the relationship between the two.

Setting: University-affiliated dermatology department at an academic medical center in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Participants: A total of 123 African American women from 21 to 60 years of age were surveyed; 103 women completed the questionnaire.

Main Outcome Measures:
The statistical significance of relationships between hair care practices and physical activity was determined.

Results: Fifty percent of African American women surveyed have modified their hairstyle to accommodate exercise and nearly 40% (37.9%) avoid exercise at times owing to hair-related issues. Respondents who exercised less owing to hair concerns were 2.9 times less likely to exercise more than 150 min/wk (95% CI, 0.9-9.4; P = .08).

Conclusion:
Dermatologists can discuss hair management strategies during exercise that facilitate routinely performing exercise.

 

Visit www.reuters.com for more on this story. Gawker also weighs in on the story.






Disclaimer: Reader discretion advised, please consult your physician before beginning any exercise or diet program.