Screening for Physical Activity and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors Among Rural African-American Women

Physical inactivity can have major implications for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, which are leading causes of morbidity among African-American women. Recruiting in rural populations can present challenges and strategies that work in one community but may not be successful in another community. This study examined the feasibility, acceptability, and implementation of community-based screening using an abbreviated Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health (REACH) Risk Factor self-report survey in a geographic region where these data were previously unavailable. Participants (N = 32) included African-American/Black women, 21 years of age or older, who attended health screening events in a rural county in South Carolina. Findings from this study demonstrated the feasibility of community-based cardiometabolic risk screenings using an abbreviated REACH Risk Factor survey and linking participants to follow-up primary care. Findings also provide insight into recruitment strategies in this geographic region.