Herland Sister Resources

If you have ever started a program of physical activity and failed, being a part of this study will help you learn how to cope with or overcome your barriers so you will continue to participate in physical activity.

Researchers at the University of Oklahoma want to understand how an 8-week educational program (1 hour per week) may help increase participation in regular moderate physical activity among adult lesbians. This educational program will focus on teaching skills and abilities needed to cope with or overcome barriers to participation in moderate physical activity.

Who can participate? If you are a self-identified lesbian aged 21-64 years and not pregnant please call us so we can determine if you are eligible to participate.

What will I have to do for the study? You will be asked to volunteer for an 8-week research study that includes a 1-week follow-up 1-month and 2 months later.  Participants will complete several questionnaires, wear a small, pager-sized device to measure physical activity for 1 week on 5 different occasions, and potentially participate in either the intervention or the control group. In the intervention group participants will attend several 1-hour educational sessions that include information on how to cope with or overcome barriers to doing physical activity, as well as a 20-30 minute moderate intensity walk. Participants in the control group will attend several 1-hour sessions that include general information on moderate physical activity, as well as a 20-30 minute moderate intensity walk.

All participants who complete the 8-week study and the 1-month and 2-month follow-ups and wear the accelerometer as instructed will receive a physical activity report, a summary report of the study results, a study t-shirt, and the education sessions information. In addition, for every accelerometer data collection time point (5 different occasions) a $5 gift card will be given to each participant who wears the accelerometer as instructed. Participants who begin the study but do not fully complete the study will receive a study t-shirt.

Why is this study being conducted? Up to 78% of adult lesbians are not physically active at sufficient levels. This is important because we know that physical activity decreases the onset of many diseases (i.e., cardiovascular disease, diabetes, some cancers, etc.) plus improves overall health and well-being. The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association has provided us a Lesbian Health Fund grant to conduct a study on how to increase participation in physical activity among adult lesbians. In addition, very minimal research is being done on adult lesbian women, thus your participation is so very important and beneficial to understanding how to improve the health of all lesbian women.

How do I get involved or what if I need more information? If you need more information or you want to get involved, contact Danielle Brittain or Mary Dinger, Department of Health and Exercise Science, University of Oklahoma, 1401 Asp Avenue, Norman, OK 73019, Phone: (405) 325-9028, Email: ouphyactlab@ou.edu.