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Arnold School research in spotlight
June 21, 2011
Researchers find obesity epidemic will not be reversed without changes to promote safe, active lifestyles
A study led by Arnold School researcher Dr. Saundra H. Glover concludes that aggressive interventions are needed to reduce an epidemic of obesity among rural African-American children.
The study, "Dietary, Physical Activity, and Lifestyle Behaviors of Rural African-American Children," is in the Journal of the National Medical Association (NMA), the leading U.S. organization representing African-American physicians and their patients.
The study analyzed dietary, physical activity, and lifestyle behaviors of 99 students aged 6 to 11 years old from Orangeburg County, where more than 62 percent of the population is African American. The study's participants were 94 percent African American; fewer than 6 percent were white or from other ethnic groups.
A highlight of the study is that rural female children were significantly more likely than rural male children to engage in physical activity for at least 20 minutes per day.
The researchers also found that 50 percent of the participants performed aerobic activities for 20 minutes or more on "3 or fewer days of the week," and 84 percent were in physical education class two days or fewer in a seven-day period.
"Given the increase in the prevalence of obesity especially among minority populations, the
need exists to develop culturally appropriate nutrition and exercise interventions to assist children in a healthy weight loss attempt," the researchers concluded. "The current dietary patterns and sedentary lifestyles of this population are placing them at increased risk for the development of chronic diseases that are exacerbated by obesity."
Glover, director of the Arnold School's Institute for Partnerships to Eliminate Health Disparities (IPEHD), was principal investigator of the study. Co-principal investigators included IPEHD colleagues Rahnuma Hassan, Gwen Preston and Dr. Larrell Wilkinson.
Among the study's other findings:
- More than 69 percent of the youth characterized themselves as "about the right weight," though 56 percent reported that they worried about their weight.
- More than 50 percent of the participants said they were trying to lose weight.
- Only 36 percent reported that they were eating fewer calories to lose weight.
- Among the participants, 42 percent consumed "3 or fewer servings of fruit" in a seven-day period.
- Vegetables, which did not include green salad, potatoes or carrots, were eaten "4 or more times" by 63 percent of the participants.
- Within a seven-day period, more than 60 percent of participants drank milk "4 or more times."
Researchers also examined technology/media usage among the participants. Sixty-six percent of the participants said they watched television for more than two hours on school nights, and 50 percent said they used a computer two or fewer hours during weekdays.
"The obesity epidemic will not be reversed if infrastructures are not developed in rural communities and low-income areas that promote a safe and active lifestyle," the researchers stated.
Study finds resistance training reduces generalized anxiety
A study by a researcher at the University of South Carolina Arnold School of Public Health found that resistance training reduces symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Presented at the 58th annual meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine, the study is the first to look at the impact of physical activity on GAD.
Dr. Matthew P. Herring, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of exercise science, said the study examined the effectiveness of six weeks of resistance exercise or aerobic exercise training.
"Larger improvements for resistance exercise may have resulted because of its intensity," Herring said. "Study participants perceived aerobic exercise sessions as less intense than resistance exercise."
The study focused on women, who are affected more frequently by GAD than men. The researchers randomized a group of 30 sedentary women, who had a diagnosis of GAD, into three groups – one that would complete six weeks of resistance training, another that would complete six weeks of aerobic exercise training, and a third that would be placed on a wait list (control group). The participants were not engaged in any additional treatment other than medications that had been prescribed for them.
The study, which received national media attention, found remission rates of 60 percent among the women who were in the resistance training group, compared with 40 percent in the aerobic exercise group and 30 percent in the control group. The findings suggest a strong potential role for exercise in helping to treat anxiety disorders, Herring said.
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about 6.8 million people are affected by GAD, which is characterized by constant worrying and tension.
"[GAD] is a pervasive, but under-recognized public health problem," said Herring, who conducted the research at the University of Georgia. "GAD is highly prevalent and highly comorbid with other anxiety and mood disorders. It results in significant economic and personal burdens, including disability, impairment, reduced work productivity and over-utilization of health care services."
"Exercise training, including resistance exercise training, is a feasible, safe and well-tolerated intervention that can reduce worry symptoms and may be an effective short-term treatment option, potential adjuvant therapy or augmentation for patients with GAD," he sad. "These findings warrant further investigation with larger trials."
