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Running head: PROMOTING EXERCISE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN

Promoting Exercise in African-American Men

Bishara Wilson

Pacific College of Oriental Medicine

June 2018
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PROMOTING EXERCISE IN AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN

Promoting Exercise in African American Men

Evaluated Research Article

Griffith DM, B. E. (2018). Physical Activity Interventions With African American or Latino

Men: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Men's Health.

Introduction

This review was selected because of a personal interest in the preservation and

strengthening health of African-American men. African-American men have the lowest life

expectancy in the US (Kochanek KD M. S., 2017) and highest death rate per capita (Kochanek

KD M. S., 2015). This review shows how African-American men are very physically active in

their youth, but highly likely to be sedentary as they get older and subsequently diagnosed with

preventable conditions that decrease their quality of life and lifespan.

Design Analysis

Design Approach

This is a systematic review. It identified 7,605 research articles that had data on African-

American men and exercise, but only nine articles met all the requirements to qualify to be

included in this systematic review. It outlined the entire study selection process in a flowchart

and also explained the steps taken to include or disqualify research articles or try to attain

incomplete information from the original researchers.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Strengths. The type of psychological theory of motivation, and interventions strategy

was discussed for each study. Some of these strategies identified interventions that were

culturally tailored to African American men.

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Weaknesses. The eligibility criteria eliminated over ninety percent of available studies in

the first phase. Some of the eligibility criteria like age could have been broader in order to gain

more data from studies that were ultimately eliminated. The study also includes Latino men, but

the cultural needs of Latino men are different than those of African-American men.

A lot of health research includes African-American men, but there is not much research

that specifically targets African-American men and their specific health needs. Follow up studies

are necessary that specifically target African-American men as a population. This research would

account thoughts and worldview of African American men to gain insight on attitudes and what

motivates African-American adult men to be physically active.

Evidence-Informed Analysis

Western Medicine

This systematic review identified health-behavior change intervention theories to help

begin to understand social and psychological determinants of physical activity amongst African-

American and Latino adult men.

Chinese Medicine

In Traditional Chinese Medicine classic literature, principles of gender and age-related

changes are understood. This understanding has become part of the culture of health maintenance

of the Chinese people and adopted by people across the globe.

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References

Griffith DM, B. E. (2018). Physical Activity Interventions With African American or Latino

Men: A Systematic Review. American Journal of Men's Health.

Kochanek KD, M. S. (2015). Death: Final Data for 2011. National Vital Statistics Reports,

Volume 63, Number 3.

Kochanek KD, M. S. (2017). Mortality in the United States, 2016. NCHS.