Fit and phat: Black college women and their relationship with physical activity, obesity and campus recreation facilities

Abstract

The purpose of this paper was to recognize factors that contribute to Black female college students adoption of physically active behaviors. In addition, this paper acknowledges the prevalence of obesity in the United States for Black women, and examines the relationship between body mass index, physical activity and use of campus recreation facilities and programs. The study is approached from an intersectionality lens, utilizing a quantitative and qualitative questionnaire to capture and analyze the perceptions and voice of Black female undergraduate students (n=49) attending a predominantly White institution in the southeast United States. Recognizing the intersectionality of race, gender and class, employing the theoretical frame of Black feminist thought was appropriate to capture the ‘multiple jeopardies’ in their daily experiences. The findings revealed 75.5% of the participants were in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines for physical activity; however, 77.1% utilize the campus recreation facility fewer than two days per week. Moreover, the findings suggest the sociocultural environment as the most influential factor on Black female collegiate students’ relationship with physical activity, obesity awareness and campus recreation facility usage.