Culture and Health
As jumping rope is a widely regarded effective form of cardiovascular exercise, Black Girls Jump (BGJ) has sought to use double dutch jump rope as a way to engage African Americans in exercise. As a form of physical play, jump rope games may also provide stress relief, healthy competition and social engagement opportunities
The organization targets two populations disproportionately impacted by health disparities– African American women and children. Research indicates:
African-Americans suffer disproportionately from obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Decreased physical activity and increased inactivity levels have been shown to be independent risk factors for the development of chronic diseases including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. (African-Americans and Heart Disease, Stroke, 2016).
A Center for Disease Control study found between 2011–2014, almost 60% of African American women were obese. (“National Center for Health Statistics, 2017.)
By ages 16-17, 56% of African-American girls had no regular leisure-time physical activity. (Kimm & Glynn, 2002).
Black Girls Jump Chicago event, 2014
Health educators have long considered culturally appropriate programs more effective when targeting specific populations. As BGJ targets a specific racial and gender demographic, a review of literature was conducted on health programs targeting specific communities.
Kreuter, Lukwago, Bucholtz, Clark, & Sanders-Thompson’s (2003) paper considered the importance of employing appropriately targeted and tailored health programs for culturally defined groups. The authors described strategies for promoting culturally appropriate health programs: peripheral, evidential, constituent-involving, linguistic and sociocultural. As the appeal of BGJ may perhaps be it’s racial and gender targeting, BGJ’s programs were evaluated based on Kreuter, Lukwago, Bucholtz, Clark, & Sanders-Thompson’s strategies.
With its’ pink colored logo with an image of a female figure with an afro ponytail hairstyle, Black Girls Jump used a peripheral strategy to package its programs and materials in a way that appeals to a specific group (Kreuter, Lukwago, Bucholtz, Clark, & Sanders-Thompson, 2003, p. 135). The name BLACK GIRLS JUMP is also clearly targeted to a specific audience.
Black Girls Jump Chicago Kick Off event, 2016
Additionally BGJ’s website employs a evidential strategy. The organization website includes statistics about health disparities specifically impacting African Americans (Kreuter, Lukwago, Bucholtz, Clark, & Sanders-Thompson, 2003, p. 135). Through the use of double dutch jump rope terms, linguistic strategies are evident in promotional and programs materials.
Black Girls Jump employs constituent-involving strategies by directly involving members of the target group. (Kreuter, Lukwago, Bucholtz, Clark, & Sanders-Thompson, 2003, p. 136). Participants can attend events, post to the BGJ social media, serve as volunteers or lead their own jump rope game in their neighborhood. The board of BGJ is comprised of African American women physicians, marketers, non-profit experts, fitness experts and educators.
Kreuter, Lukwago, Bucholtz, Clark, & Sanders-Thompson’s (2003) sociocultural strategy for culturally appropriate health promotion programs contends “sociocultural-based programs and materials should reflect an understanding of culturally normative practices and beliefs—the inner workings of culture rather than just outward appearances” (p. 136). Cultural inner workings include cultural values, beliefs and behaviors (Kreuter, Lukwago, Bucholtz, Clark, & Sanders-Thompson’s (2003), p.136).
A game rooted rooted in urban black girlhood, double dutch perhaps represents the inner workings of urban black female experience. African American double dutch players share common experiences, memories, unique language and practices. Playing double dutch jump rope into adulthood may perhaps be an expression of cultural pride, and a community-empowered approach to physical fitness (Israel, Checkoway, Schulz, and Zimmerman, 1994)
Black Girls Jump Meetup Group in Washington D.C., 2017
Black Girls Jump Meetup Group in Washington D.C., 2017
Although jump rope is regarded as an effective activity for physical fitness, no research exists on the effectiveness of double dutch jump rope as a physical fitness activity for African American women.
The central research questions of this study are:
1. What motivates Black Girls Jump participants to engage with the meetup group?
2. How does the jump rope meetup group shape health and wellness perceptions and behaviors amongst participants?
As African American females are the least likely group to engage in physical fitness, jump rope games may offer insights into targeting this population. This research also hopes to uncover the role of cultural targeting, multigenerational engagement and nostalgia in motivation for physical fitness and healthy behaviors.
Jump In! An Mini-Ethnography of Double Dutch Jump Rope as Fitness Activity for African Americans 