Authors: Loneke T. Blackman Carr, Carmen D. Samuel-Hodge, and Deborah F. Tate
Abstract: This study looked at how being a caregiver affects sticking to a weight loss program, especially for Black women. Caregiving involves taking care of family and friends, which can make it harder to focus on self-care like healthy eating and exercise. The study used data from a weight loss program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with 81 Black women who were overweight or obese. Researchers measured things like weight, diet, and physical activity and looked at how much the women identified with the caregiver role. They found that women who saw themselves more as caregivers attended fewer program sessions and were less likely to lose weight. Those who faced more caregiving challenges also ate fewer fruits and vegetables.
The reason for focusing on Black women is that they often lose less weight in such programs compared to other groups, even though they may still see some health benefits. Understanding the social and cultural pressures, like the strong Black woman role, is important because these roles can make it harder for them to take care of their own health. This role often means putting others first and ignoring their own needs, which can lead to stress and unhealthy habits like overeating or not exercising. This research shows that the caregiving role can interfere with weight loss efforts, and programs should consider these challenges when helping Black women with weight loss.
Key Findings
- Results indicated that greater baseline MC-role score was associated with decreased intervention session attendance.
- Among women who had greater baseline MC-role identification, a trend towards weight gain was observed over 6 months.
- Participants who perceived greater barriers from the multiple caregiving role showed an association with lower daily fruit/vegetable intake over the 6-month study period.
- These findings demonstrate the complex nature of the multiple caregiving role and perceived barriers on engagement, behavior and weight change during weight loss treatment.
