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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2023 Dec;123(12):1763-1771.
doi: 10.1016/j.jand.2023.07.003. Epub 2023 Jul 16.

"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  1 , Mary Quattlebaum  2 , Sarah Eustis  3 , Nkechi Okpara  4 , Mary J Wilson  5 , Claudia Sentman  4 , Gabrielle M Turner-McGrievy  4
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

"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 et al. J Acad Nutr Diet. 2023 Dec.

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.

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Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Questions from an interview guided used to explore Africans Americans’ perspectives on how COVID-19 pandanic affected stress, nutrition, and exercise behavious.
Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Questions from an interview guided used to explore Africans Americans’ perspectives on how COVID-19 pandanic affected stress, nutrition, and exercise behavious.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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