Mileka Scurlock

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A senior in kinesiology and health from Omaha, Neb., Mileka Scurlock is currently involved in her first research project. Upon hearing that she had been chosen to participate in the event, she felt both anticipation and apprehension.

 

“I was really excited, and then again it’s like, ‘Oh my goodness, am I up to that standard?’ It was really unexpected for me, but when I saw it, I had to jump at the opportunity,” Scurlock said.

 

Scurlock is working with her faculty mentor, Dr. Panteleimon Ekkekakis, on research that looks at postmenopausal African-American women’s attitudes toward physical activity. “The research is centered around determining some of the psycho-social aspects of physical activity participation in this population,” Scurlock said. “So I was specifically looking at what beliefs these women hold.”

 

Scurlock is analyzing postmenopausal African-American women because statistics show that they exercise less frequently than other demographic populations. She interviewed seven women in the Ames and Omaha areas in the hopes of revealing potential barriers to exercising. She believes important factors may include their perceptions of physical activity, family and friends’ involvement, a lack of free time, and health concerns.

 

“A lot of them felt that if they were to do more, it was their own self-determination, their own intrinsic motivation that would help them,” Scurlock said. “There is this cultural aspect that some African-American women have that [says], ‘As African-American women, we have big bones.’ There’s a certain idea that you’re not going to be skinny, so to try to get that body shape is not something you’re going to exercise for.”

 

Because of this, Scurlock believes that changing the focus of media portrayals would be a good starting point. “I think it would definitely help if you have more accurate portrayals of women, and emphasize the health aspect – which is what a lot of women talked about – instead of this whole cosmetic, external aspect.”

 

 

Scurlock, who is currently applying to physical therapy programs, hopes that her research has practical benefits for African-American women. "I think that my research will add to the general knowledge and help with health promotion and interventions."