Mind Body Physical Activity to Reduce Blood Pressure in Black Women: A Systematic Review of Feasibility Evidence

Introduction: Black women in the United States have higher rates of hypertension (56.9%) compared to White (36.9%) and Hispanic (36.8%) women. Physical activity can prevent and/or improve hypertension, yet most Black women do not meet the national guidelines for physical activity. Mind body physical activity interventions involve integrating principles of mindfulness with physical activity. The purpose of this review was to synthesize the available literature on the feasibility and acceptability outcomes of interventions and hypertension in Black women. Methods: This review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) and Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR). A comprehensive search of three databases (PubMed, APA PsycInfo and Scopus) was performed. Results: In total, 321 records were screened and 41 were selected for full text review. Four studies met inclusion criteria, including two culturally tailored lifestyle interventions, a peer support and dancing intervention, and a church/faith-based walking intervention. Feasibility outcomes showed high feasibility of mind body physical activity interventions among Black women with hypertension. Three interventions show that incorporating faith-based components (e.g. prayer and gospel music) are acceptable to Black women. Qualitative findings suggest that participants had health-related motivation to participate in activities and the interventions facilitated peer and social support. Conclusions: This review demonstrates the promise of mind-body physical activity interventions for Black women with hypertension. Future studies should test the efficacy of these interventions as a means for managing hypertension in Black women.