"It's Gonna Be Okay"-A Qualitative Exploration of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on African American Participants During a Dietary Intervention Study

John A Bernhart; Mary Quattlebaum; Sarah Eustis; Nkechi Okpara; Mary J Wilson; Claudia Sentman; Gabrielle M Turner-McGrievy

doi:10.1016/j.jand.2023.07.003

"It's Gonna Be Okay"-A Qualitative Exploration of the COVID-19 Pandemic's Effects on African American Participants During a Dietary Intervention Study

J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023 Dec;123(12):1763-1771. doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.07.003. Epub 2023 Jul 16.

Authors

John A Bernhart¹, Mary Quattlebaum², Sarah Eustis³, Nkechi Okpara⁴, Mary J Wilson⁵, Claudia Sentman⁴, Gabrielle M Turner-McGrievy⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina; Prevention Research Center, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina. Electronic address: bernhaj@email.sc.edu.
² Department of Psychology, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
³ Tufts University School of Medicine, Boston, Massachusetts.
⁴ Department of Health Promotion, Education, and Behavior, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.
⁵ Department of Health Services, Policy, and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, South Carolina.

PMID: 37437808
PMCID: PMC10789910 (available on 2024-12-01)
DOI: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.07.003

Abstract

Background: African American adults are at increased risk for chronic diseases. Limited research exists regarding how the COVID-19 pandemic affected African American adults in behavioral interventions.

Objective: This study assessed how the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, before vaccine availability and widespread testing, affected stress, nutrition, and exercise behaviors of African American adults participating in a dietary intervention study.

Design: This was a qualitative interview study conducted with participants from both diet groups as part of the ongoing Nutritious Eating with Soul (NEW Soul) study. NEW Soul is a 2-year, randomized dietary intervention study with participants randomized to follow a vegan (intervention) or low-fat omnivorous diet (control), with both diets focused on soul food.

Participants/setting: Participants (n = 20) came from 2 cohorts of the larger intervention study in South Carolina and were purposefully recruited based on high and low attendance at intervention sessions. Participants in the first cohort were near the end of the intervention, and participants in the second cohort were near the mid-point. The interviews were conducted from June to July 2020.

Main outcome measures: Outcomes included participants' experiences related to stress, nutrition, and exercise behaviors during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis: Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Interview transcripts were coded by two coders using NVivo software. Interviews were coded through content analysis using a constant comparative method.

Results: Participants discussed the following 3 themes in relation to health behaviors: increased stress, change in routines, and advice to follow health goals.

Conclusions: Findings provide perspectives for designing interventions for African American adults establishing new routines to overcome setbacks and changes in routines created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03354377.

Keywords: African Americans; Exercise; Health disparities; Nutrition; Stress.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adult
Black or African American*
COVID-19*
Diet*
Exercise
Health Behavior*
Humans
Pandemics

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT03354377

Grants and funding

R01 HL135220/HL/NHLBI NIH HHS/United States