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Sisters Together Partners Develop Brochure for Black Women's Fitness and Hair Care Needs
In response to black women's concerns about fitness and hair care, the Sisters Together coalition is developing a brochure offering hair care tips for those who want to move more.
The brochure will be distributed to black women, ages 18 to 35, as part of the pilot program's effort to encourage this population to maintain their weight by becoming physically active and eating healthy foods. It also will be distributed to the public through the Weight-control Information Network (WIN).
In Boston's Dorchester, Mattapan, and Roxbury communities, black women said they were hesitant to be more physically active regularly because of their concerns about hair care. Since some styles require additional time and expense to maintain, the Sisters Together partners decided to address this barrier to moving more.
"We found that many black women spend from $60 to $150 a month on their hair. Without some suggestions on how to combine hair care and exercise, these women would choose not to move more, so they could take care of their hair," says Kelley Chunn, communications coordinator for Sisters Together.
Sisters Together partners, including Body by Brandy in Roxbury, Christopher Emery Salons in Jamaica Plain, and Sharlene's Beauty Secrets Salon in Dorchester, contributed to the development of the hair care brochure.
The Looking Fit and Feeling Fine: Hair Care Tips for Black Women on the Move brochure will contain tips for black women to help them care for their hair before, during, and after exercise. The brochure will also offer suggestions for moving more and eating better.
Sisters Together is a project of WIN, in conjunction with the Boston Obesity/Nutrition Research Center, which includes representatives from the Harvard School of Public Health and Tufts University School of Nutrition Science and Policy. For more information on Sisters Together, contact WIN at 1-800-WIN-8098 or in Boston call (617) 432-2048.