If a group of researchers set out supported by the HHS Office of Women's Health to design a weight loss intervention (LB) lesbians and ...
If a group of researchers set out supported by the HHS Office of Women's Health to design a weight loss intervention (LB) lesbians and bisexual women with a challenge made: Many lesbians and bisexuals on the idea, reluctant weight loss. LB Although women are more likely to be overweight or obese than their heterosexual counterparts, they are less likely to consider overweight. The researchers conducted focus groups with LB women (some include only obese participants), and learned that the participants are often not the priority of the weight loss, but I wanted to feel healthy and be active. Therefore, the main objectives of research physical activity and nutrition, suggested with weight loss as emphasized secondary objective.
The "healthy weight for lesbian and bisexual communities: the struggle for a healthy community" study (HWLB) involved five different programs in 10 US cities .. all programs lasted 12 or 16 weeks weekly group sessions were examined, nutritional education and physical activity for lesbians and bisexual overweight older than 40 women. Each program has also in a used pedometer, gym membership, or care approach to improving health. the results were published center complement women's magazine (Disclosure: I am the editor of the magazine) the researchers found that the 266 participants, 95%, at least one of the health goals that were 57% of participants to increase. their total weekly minutes of physical activity by 20%.
Approach to health, a safe environment, local standards
"We thought it was very clear messages to the community, who do not want to focus on weight loss - I wanted to be healthy to concentrate," said Jane McElroy of the University of Missouri in video on the study. McElroy led the "Living Out to be active" program (LOLA) in St. Louis and Columbia, Missouri, and served as the first author of the paper, the main results of the study report. in addition to focus on health rather than weight loss programs all partners with local LGBT organizations and worked to create a safe and welcoming environment for women LB. to provide the same video available LOLA Hudson Giles participate lavender explaining the importance of tailored intervention for LB women: "If I work on something that is very personal, the more I get with people who know me, the more confident feel me myself."
Apart from these secure environments, lesbians and bisexual women of larger sizes, they can prejudice and discrimination are exposed - including the healthcare providers. The study HWLB, Natalie Ingraham services Lyon-Martin Health, a program HealthRights360 and colleagues developed and tested to help two trainings in health care to better serve patients LB are overweight or obese.
In collaboration with community organizations also helped the researchers to adapt their programs to the local standards. "In some areas of the country, lesbians and bisexual women are more susceptible to conventional health measures, while in the Bay Area, women integrate health approaches were much more suspicious," says Michele Eliason, the San Francisco State University, who led the program "do it itself "(DFIO) in the Bay Area and was the first author of the article about sexual identities. "We" both approaches Bay Area mindfulness programs are used;. DIFO used a "because culturally sensitive approach to community standards administered women in our program to recruit intuitive eating" approach, the positivity and body learn to assess their own body signals whether women use health care (Zas) emphasizes stress reduction treatments and tools to consciously eat ,
A control group of 67 participants received no response. If McElroy et al, the three groups of components compared (pedometer, gym membership, and attention) to the control group, they found that pedometer groups and the treatments were more willing to increase their physical activity minutes 20% and gymnastics participation in the group was more of a 5% reduction in waist circumference compared to the level achieved - and an important indicator of metabolic health. Among all participants of the intervention, the authors state:
- 57% increased their minutes of physical activity of 20% or more;
- 51% increased their consumption of fruits and vegetables 10% or more;
- 28% of its size at 5% or more; and
- 19% of its weight reduced by 5% or more.
Lessons for the future research and practice
This is the first major US focus on healthy weights for lesbians and bisexual women. McElroy and his colleagues found the culturally sensitive approach to be effective, and to reproduce the models with a different geographical, urban and rural areas of supervision to promote other researchers ", and a healthy in different racial / ethnic groups, the ultimate goal, weight LB to achieve in communities across the country. "
In an article on the recruitment and participation in the study, Susan Wood and his co-authors report that investigators brochures and online publication for recruiting "Participants References to less useful to be word-of-mouth Email -mail to social networking subscriber LB "and the use of electronic health records (both clinical programs)." despite special efforts to recruit underrepresented populations, has the last sample. a higher completion rates of university and employment "developing effective strategies to recruit women LB with low incomes, with less education and underrepresented populations should be a priority for future interventions "Wood et al write.
"We hope to encourage these results have other communities, strategies to develop interventions to support lesbian and bisexual women achieved active and healthy life that they want," McElroy said. The program documents are online and available for use by other organizations. Articles of the study are available on the website of the women's health questions.
Liz Borkowski, MPH is the editor of the women's health and a researcher at the Institute of Public Health Milken University School of George Washington.
