Hair Care Practices as a Barrier to Physical Activity in African American Women

OBJECTIVE: To characterize the influence of hair style 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 hair style 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.