Evidence Informed Health Practice

Question: Discuss about the Evidence Informed Health Practice. Answer: Introduction: Which one is greater among maintenance phase in women participating in physical exercise, perceived barriers or perceived benefits? The null hypothesis states that the perceived benefits were lower and perceived barriers were greater in women with more extensive and successful PA participation experience. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the differences in perceived benefits and barriers in relation to physical activity between pre-maintenance women and the maintenance phase to determine whether perceived benefit or perceived barrier is greater in women who experience PA participation. In this experiment benefits are the dependent variable since the barriers changes with time and external environment such as affect of the society, economic status and diet. Therefore, barriers are the independent variables. The benefits are the independent variables since these cannot be changed with time or any other factors. The study design was qualitative since it was based on the descriptive data. The two advantages of the study are firstly, it could be identified from the study that the African-American women have understood the barriers and benefits of physical activity. Secondly, the study promotes the benefits of physical activity rather than barriers. The participants were 113 African-American women who participated for this study. Participants were recruited from the community and supported by Sisters in Motion. The conventional sampling strategy has been used in this study. 50 % of the population in the pre-maintenance group is in college and 59% in the maintenance group are college graduate. (50+59)/ (100+100) = 109/200= 0.545 Therefore, 54.5% of the population is college graduate. The overall mean age of the participants in this study was found to be 51.3 years. This mean was calculated by statistical analysis and the analysis of data was conducted by means IBM SPAA version 18. In addition chi-square and t-tests were also used. The point at which the authors reported that overall, the participants of the study had a mean age of 51.3 years, SD of 14.2 years involved the stages of change, and the participants regarding their stages of change with respect to PA behavior had indicated it. SD= 14.2 signifies a standard deviation of 14.2 indicating the descriptive statistics of the participants of this study. Assuming the normal distribution of age, the range of age for the approximately 68% of the participants of the study was 51.3 years. Information Variable type Marital status Nominal variable Educational level Ordinal variable Employment status Ordinal variable Current physical health Continuous variable It has been reported by the authors that women in the maintenance group were significantly less likely to smoke. The findings of the authors can be justified with the descriptive statistics and p-value in the way that the study has examined the perceived benefits and barriers associated with the PA behaviour. Yes, the two groups consisting of the pre-maintenance groups were not similar in terms of their marital status. It is known through the process of data analysis by using IBM SPSS version 8, tests and chi-square tests. Yes, the two groups (pre-maintenance and maintenance) are significantly different in terms of stating lack of access to gym as a barrier to physical activity. This is evident from the table in which the comparison of the participants consisting of the two groups (pre-maintenance and maintenance) with respect to the changes in the of physical activity behaviour. The results did not change after 13 smokers were removed from the database since the statistical significance for all the comparisons have not changed. In Table 1, the values 52.2 (15.7) represent the smoking status of the maintenance group. Yes, the two groups are statistically different in terms of perceiving unsafe environment as a barrier to physical activity since the p-value of the pre-maintenance group was found to be 79 and for maintenance group it was 74. In this study, the investigation of the the potential differences in perceived benefits in barriers related to participation in physical activity between African-American women have been carried out. The results of the study have suggested the benefits and barriers related to physical activity behaviour has been valued as well as understood by the several African- American women. The results of this study are not in support of the common belief that effectual programming of improvements of health behavior needs to stress on the benefits and barriers associated with their behaviour. The health practitioners should think to focus on the other factors, which are evidence-based and have been proved to encourage physical activity behaviour like counseling concerning social assistance as for e.g. buddy system and enhancing the self-efficacy as for e.g. setting of a specific goal for initiating and sustaining a lifestyle which is physically active. This study has provided an evidence that f or some of the populations the perceived benefits of physical activity and the barriers to the participation in the physical activity do not fluctuate distinctly between the beginners and the experienced participants of physical activity effectively. In my opinion, the findings of this study are not reliable. Reference Scott, M. S., Oman, R. F., John, R. (2015). The Benefits and Barriers Related to Regular Participation in Physical Activity by African-American Women: Implications for Intervention Development.Open Journal of Preventive Medicine,5(04), 169.