Hair Maintenance As A Barrier To Physical Activity In African-american Women: A Quantitative Analysis

Compared to their peers, African-American women have one of the lowest rates of physical activity and one of the highest rates of obesity, making it important to address potential barriers to physical activity unique to African-American women. Research has identified hair as a potential barrier to physical activity that may be distinct to this population. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to describe haircare practices in African-American women and assess how time and monetary costs associated with hair practices may impact physical activity engagement. METHODS: An electronic survey focusing on haircare practices and physical activity was developed and distributed via email and social media. Interested participants who self-identified as African-American, female, and over the age of 18 were included in the study. University of Minnesota Institutional Review Board approved this study. Descriptive, correlational, and linear regression analyses were completed using SAS 9.4. RESULTS: The sample of African-American women (n = 354) had a mean age of 38.9 ± 9.01 years and a mean BMI of 29.4 ± 6.83 kg/m2. On average, women reported 2.1 ± 1.85, 2.3 ± 2.09, and 4.4 ± 3.41 hours of moderate, vigorous, and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), respectively, per week. MVPA did not significantly differ by time spent on hair per day or money spent per month on haircare (p = 0.21 and p = 0.82, respectively). Participants who exercised less and avoided exercise because of their hair reported significantly different MVPA from participants that reported that their hair did not deter them from exercising or avoiding exercise (p = <0.001 and p = 0.0174, respectively.) CONCLUSION: Building upon previous literature, these analyses found that although time and money spent on haircare do not influence weekly MVPA in African-American women, hair does serve as a barrier for physical activity participation in this population. Hair must be considered when addressing physical inactivity in African-American women.