They are certain inherent benefits of physical activity, like reduce risk of obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. Despite these benefits there is still a large number of the college student population that is inactive. Studies reported that about 40%-50% of college students were not physically active with 50%-70% of African American and Asian female being the least active among the groups. Employing a cultural identity model in a qualitative ethnographic design, we investigated the issue of diminutive enrollment number for minority women in college and university physical activity and wellness courses.
Method:
Ten minority students enrolled in the college and university physical activity and wellness courses during the spring semester were the participants in this study. These participants completed three questionnaire based on demographic, perception about body image, and their participation in physical activity. They also participated in a 45 minutes one-on-one interview that examined four distinct aspects of physical activity, fitness, appearance, enjoyment, and social. The data analysis was accomplished by using the constant comparison method.
Analysis/Results:
Participants reported doing exercise for enjoyment and fitness and express very high body image satisfaction. They were very cognizant in acknowledging that the images portrayed in the media and magazines were not accurate representation of the ideal female body image. These participants motivation for exercise resulted from their desire to improve appearance and body image. However, being thin was not a motivator and they believe that a healthy female body should be somewhat slender but depict all shapes and sizes. They indicated that their culture taught them about the essence and appreciation for all female body types. More significant, their family and friends were primarily the ones to be vocal about what their ideal body image should be and were eager to reinforce ethnic believes of body contours.
Conclusions:
The findings indicated that minority students enjoy the physical activity and wellness courses but because of ethnicity-specific belief of thinness and body contours their participation in these courses are diminutive. The significance of these findings lie in the use of this research to better communicate and design courses that are culturally sensitive to students from diverse backgrounds. Additionally, this research provides much needed insights into how college women of color perceive their bodies in relation to their peers.