Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of an informational website in improving patient knowledge on hair care and exercise. Design: Pre- and post-exposure surveys, focusing on exercise and hair care practices, were administered to subjects after 1 h of browsing a dermatologist-designed hair care and exercise website. Setting: Winston Salem State University, a historically Black university in North Carolina, USA. Participants: 22 African-American women (AAW) aged between 18 and 54 years. Measurements: The outcome measures of the study include patient demographics, hair care practices, knowledge of hair/care disorders, exercise habits, and website feedback. Results: There were 22 women enrolled in the study with 95% identifying as African-American. The average age was 28 ± 12 years. A total of 80% (16/20) of subjects reported exercising less than 150 min per week, and 36% of these patients reported modifying their hairstyle to accommodate physical activity. 85% learned new information about hair and scalp disorders from the educational material on the website, and 81% had increased understanding of their hair health. 91% reported that they would return to the website. Conclusion: An informational website can be an effective tool to educate AAW on hair and scalp disease, as well as appropriate hair care practices and fitness goals.

1.
Ogden
CL
,
Carroll
MD
,
Fryar
CD
,
Flegal
KM
.
Prevalence of Obesity Among Adults and Youth: united States, 2011-2014
.
NCHS Data Brief
.
2015
Nov
;(
219
):
1
8
.
[PubMed]
1941-4927
2.
Nothwehr
F
.
Attitudes and behaviors related to weight control in two diverse populations
.
Prev Med
.
2004
Oct
;
39
(
4
):
674
80
.
[PubMed]
0091-7435
3.
Horm
J
,
Anderson
K
.
Who in America is trying to lose weight?
Ann Intern Med
.
1993
Oct
;
119
(
7 Pt 2
):
672
6
.
[PubMed]
0003-4819
4.
Young
DR
,
He
X
,
Harris
J
,
Mabry
I
.
Environmental, policy, and cultural factors related to physical activity in well-educated urban African American women
.
Women Health
.
2002
;
36
(
2
):
29
41
.
[PubMed]
0363-0242
5.
Atlantis
E
,
Barnes
EH
,
Ball
K
.
Weight status and perception barriers to healthy physical activity and diet behavior
.
Int J Obes
.
2008
Feb
;
32
(
2
):
343
52
.
[PubMed]
0307-0565
6.
Sanderson
B
,
Littleton
M
,
Pulley
L
.
Environmental, policy, and cultural factors related to physical activity among rural, African American women
.
Women Health
.
2002
;
36
(
2
):
75
90
.
[PubMed]
0363-0242
7.
Assari
S
,
Moghani Lankarani
M
,
Caldwell
CH
,
Zimmerman
MA
.
Fear of Neighborhood Violence During Adolescence Predicts Development of Obesity a Decade Later: Gender Differences Among African Americans
.
Arch Trauma Res
.
2016
May
;
5
(
2
):
e31475
.
[PubMed]
2251-953X
8.
Woolford
SJ
,
Woolford-Hunt
CJ
,
Sami
A
,
Blake
N
,
Williams
DR
.
No sweat: african American adolescent girls’ opinions of hairstyle choices and physical activity
.
BMC Obes
.
2016
Jul
;
3
(
1
):
31
.
[PubMed]
2052-9538
9.
Hall
RR
,
Francis
S
,
Whitt-Glover
M
,
Loftin-Bell
K
,
Swett
K
,
McMichael
AJ
.
Hair care practices as a barrier to physical activity in African American women
.
JAMA Dermatol
.
2013
Mar
;
149
(
3
):
310
4
.
[PubMed]
2168-6068
10.
US Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS)
.
2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans
.
Washington (DC)
:
USDHHS
;
2008
.
Copyright / Drug Dosage / Disclaimer
Copyright: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be translated into other languages, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, microcopying, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.
Drug Dosage: The authors and the publisher have exerted every effort to ensure that drug selection and dosage set forth in this text are in accord with current recommendations and practice at the time of publication. However, in view of ongoing research, changes in government regulations, and the constant flow of information relating to drug therapy and drug reactions, the reader is urged to check the package insert for each drug for any changes in indications and dosage and for added warnings and precautions. This is particularly important when the recommended agent is a new and/or infrequently employed drug.
Disclaimer: The statements, opinions and data contained in this publication are solely those of the individual authors and contributors and not of the publishers and the editor(s). The appearance of advertisements or/and product references in the publication is not a warranty, endorsement, or approval of the products or services advertised or of their effectiveness, quality or safety. The publisher and the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to persons or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content or advertisements.
You do not currently have access to this content.