Acculturation, readiness to change, and body mass index among African American women: a community-based study from Florida, United States

BackgroundGaining insight into African American women’s health behavior desires and weight management is pivotal since they have the highest prevalence of obesity in the U.S. Exploring an association between psychological factors (e.g. acculturation status and readiness to change) and anthropometric characteristics, including body mass index (BMI) is critical for developing effective health promotion programs that improve lifestyle behaviors among this group. The purpose of this study was to ascertain nutrition and physical activity behaviors based on the stages of change (SOC) theory and its association with BMI and acculturation status among adult African American Women (AAW). MethodsSOC, acculturation status, and BMI were analyzed using a population-based sample of 294 AAW living in Florida. Logistic regression analysis was conducted by modeling BMI as the outcome variable to assess the influence of acculturation and SOC while controlling for sociodemographic characteristics. The significance level was set at 5% and all tests were two-sided. ResultsOur findings indicated that 59.4% of AAW were overweight or obese. Among those who reported SOC for physical activity, 229 (81.5%) were in the preparation, active, or maintenance SOC for physical activity. Of 279 participants, 214 (77%) reported being in the preparation, active, or maintenance SOC for practices in good eating habits. SOC for nutrition scores, acculturation scores, and age were significantly different among categories of BMI. AAW who were overweight or obese were significantly more likely to be in the preparation or action SOC for physical activity rather than the maintenance stages of change, compared to normal weight AAW. Conclusion Findings suggest that while AAW are ready to change, they still struggle to engage in behaviors that reduce their BMI. SOC, along with cultural factors should be considered when developing health interventions to assist AAW improve health behaviors that subsequently reduce BMI and prevent the onset of chronic diseases.