Chapter 18: The Impact of Sport Participation on African American Girls’ Health

Health statistics reveal that African American girls and women have the highest rates of health related diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetes, obesity). As such, good nutrition and regular physical activity are recommended to decrease said maladies. Focusing on physical activity, statistics reveal African American girls and women have low rates of physical activity to include their participation in sport. Therefore, the purpose of this chapter is to explicate the benefits of sport participation for African American girls’ health. Employing a Black feminist thought perspective, barriers that inhibit sport participation are presented as well as strategies to overcome these barriers.