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Research and Science

September 12, 2023

The TEAAMS Project

Addressing the Lack of Representation in MS Physical Activity Research

Physical activity and exercise can help people living with multiple sclerosis feel better, think better, move better and live better, but most of the evidence comes from white, middle-class adults. As of 2018, fewer than 2% of participants in physical activity-related research studies involving MS identified as Black or African American.“Black persons with MS have a more aggressive progression of the disease, and this might be partially caused by lower levels of physical activity and exercise” explains Robert Motl, PhD, a professor at University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).As researchers gather a better understanding of the distinct characteristics of the Black experience with MS, we must embrace cultural competence in our research and the exercise and physical activity programs we develop.

What Is Cultural Competence?

Building Culturally Competent Research Teams

When seeking funding from the Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation to develop the Targeted Exercise for African Americans with MS (TEAAMS) project, the first step in developing a culturally informed study involved building a research team that included individuals from various racial and ethnic backgrounds.“We knew a more diverse team would build a better grant and research study, and the intervention and the results would better address the needs of the Black community with MS residing in the South,” Motl says.To ensure recruitment efforts to seek participants are culturally sensitive, Motl partnered with Dorothy Pekmezi, PhD, and Whitney Neal at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). Pekmezi and Neal, both Alabama natives, collaborated with Motl on previous studies during the 5 years he worked at UAB as professor and director of research in the Department of Physical Therapy.UAB is responsible for all project outreach activities that support participant recruitment for the TEAAMS project.“We collaborate with community networks and organizations such as the National MS Society to help raise awareness of TEAAMS among Black individuals with MS living in the South,” explains Neal, the TEAAMS outreach coordinator.

Tailoring Exercise Programs to Participants’ Cultural Needs and Preferences

“When developing our project, our diverse team had so many unique, thoughtful ideas on best approaches, and through mindful discussion we developed consensus on best approaches and steps for designing an appropriate program of exercise training for the Black community with MS,” Motl says.The TEAAMS project was informed by community engaged research conducted by Dominique Kinnett-Hopkins, PhD, of the University of Michigan. She and Motl collaborated in gathering feedback from Black individuals with MS regarding exercise program component preferences. The home-based exercise program includes culturally tailored components, such as images of Black individuals in the educational and motivational content and a certified coach from an underrepresented racial/ethnic group.“Most participants appreciate having a coach who is specifically not white or a male,” says TEAAMS coach Victoria Flores, PhD. “For participants who are from other countries – we have representation from Nigeria and Jamaica – having a coach that also comes from a cultural background with first-hand experience as a family acclimating to America and navigating challenges like the education system or owning a business, seems to enhance our conversations and rapport/trust.”Flores, a postdoctoral research associate at UIC, is Filipino-American.

Feedback on TEAAMS Thus Far

The TEAAMS Project

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The Targeted Exercise for African Americans with MS project will help researchers understand how exercise can help reduce MS-related symptoms among Black individuals with MS. Recruitment for the TEAAMS project is ongoing. More information can be found at projectteaams.ahs.uic.edu.

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Breaking the Cycle of Exclusion: Embracing Cultural Competence in Physical Activity Research for People with MS

Addressing the Lack of Representation in MS Physical Activity Research

What Is Cultural Competence?

Building Culturally Competent Research Teams

Tailoring Exercise Programs to Participants’ Cultural Needs and Preferences

Feedback on TEAAMS Thus Far

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