Sweat and Hair: Online Interventions for Improving Physical Activity in African-American Women.

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.