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Title: Sustainability of Blood Pressure and HDL-C improvements following a community participatory walking intervention

Author
item CONNELL, CAROL - UNIVERSITY SO MISSISSIPPI
item YADRICK, KATHLEEN - UNIVERSITY SO MISSISSIPPI
item ZOELLNER, JAMIE - UNIVERSITY SO MISSISSIPPI
item SANTELL, ROSS - ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
item FUNGWE, THOMAS - ALCORN STATE UNIVERSITY
item STRICKAND, EARLENE - DELTA NIRI
item AVIS-WILLIAMS, ARMANDA - UNIVERSITY SO MISSISSIPPI
item BOUNDS, WENDY - UNIVERSITY SO MISSISSIPPI
item Bogle, Margaret

Submitted to: International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2007
Publication Date: 6/23/2007
Citation: Connell, C., Yadrick, K., Zoellner, J., Santell, R., Fungwe, T., Strickand, E., Avis-Williams, A., Bounds, W., Bogle, M.L. 2007. Sustainability of blood pressure and HDL-C improvements following a community participatory walking intervention [abstract]. Proceedings of the International Society for Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity. p. 120.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Our purpose was to assess the sustainability of biologic and anthropometric effects on participants enrolled in a 6-month walking intervention developed through a community participatory process in a rural Mississippi Delta community. Participants in walking groups led by trained volunteers were evaluated at enrollment (0), at completion of the 6-month intervention (6-months), and six months after conclusion of the intervention (12-months) for anthropometric and biologic measures. Time points were compared using repeated measures ANOVA. Of 83 enrolled participants (98% African American, 94% female), 66 (80%) completed the 6-month intervention, participants (n=66) exhibited significant improvements in systolic blood pressure (-4.3 mmHg; 0 to 6-months), HDL cholesterol (+7.9 mg/dl; 0 to 6-months), and waist circumference (-1.4 inches; 0 to 6-months) (P<.001). For those evaluated at 12-months) (n=46), significant improvements in systolic blood pressure (-7.84 mmHg; 0 to 12-months and HDL-C (+7.98 mg/dl; 0 to 12-months) (P<.001) were sustained, but improvement changed significantly at conclusion of the 6-month intervention, significant improvements were achieved in the 12-month follow-up cohort (-3.18 mmHg; 0 to 12-months) (p=.013). These data offer encouragement that a community participatory walking intervention in a rural population with high levels of health risk can yield sustained improvements for some participants. It also points to the need to plan at the outset for activities supporting maintenance of improvements.