From WNBA Dreams to Changing Lives: On A Mission to Promote Physical Activity

As a child, Amber W. Kinsey, Ph.D., dreamed of playing professional basketball in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). While her path led her elsewhere, her passion for sports ignited a lifelong mission to transform lives through physical activity and exercise.

Kinsey at a Las Vegas Aces WNBA game.

Now an assistant professor in the Division of Preventive Medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Kinsey focuses her research on optimizing lifestyle interventions for cardiometabolic health among priority populations. Kinsey defines priority populations as “groups that are experiencing health disparities, underrepresented in research, and/or experiencing worse outcomes in response to interventions.”

At a recent UAB Preventive Medicine Grand Rounds presentation, Kinsey shared strategies for promoting physical activity among these populations. Her mission: To use physical activity and exercise as tools to empower others.

Amber W. Kinsey, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Division of Preventive Medicine, UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Learn more about Kinsey.

What are Priority Populations?

Kinsey defines priority populations as “groups that are experiencing health disparities, underrepresented in research, and/or experiencing worse outcomes in response to interventions”.

“Not everyone has access to physical activity opportunities. We must consider the broader context – where people live, work, play, and other factors beyond one’s control – to understand what contributes to an active lifestyle.”

Understanding the Bigger Picture

“Not everyone has access to physical activity opportunities,” Kinsey said. “We must consider the broader context – where people live, work, play, and other factors beyond one’s control – to understand what contributes to an active lifestyle.”

While acknowledging the importance of addressing root causes of inactivity, Kinsey emphasizes that “to truly change health statistics, we need to focus on changing behaviors.”

Learning from Success Models

“In every community, there are some individuals who manage to maintain good health practices despite challenging circumstances,” Kinsey said. “Learning more about their strategies for success and using that information to develop programs may allow us to better help others facing similar challenges.” Some of her work on this topic can be found here.

Exercise Snacks

One of Kinsey’s creative strategies involves “exercise snacks” – brief bursts of activity lasting up to five minutes. These can include taking the stairs, doing jumping jacks, or performing bodyweight squats.

“Finding opportunities to move throughout the day is a great way to be more active,” Kinsey said. “While this concept isn’t new, framing it as ‘exercise snacks’ makes it fun and digestible – pun intended!”

A Gateway to Accessible Exercise

Kinsey is also reimagining traditional approaches to physical activity promotion. “For some health outcomes, consistent resistance training twice a week can be as effective as three to five days of aerobic exercise,” she noted. She goes on to say that “resistance training may be a good first step to getting people active”. “Some data suggests that priority populations prefer resistance training over cardio and may even experience better outcomes with resistance training for some health measures”, said Kinsey.

Her two Forge AHEAD Center projects aim to make resistance training more accessible for priority populations.

Meeting People Where They Are

Kinsey’s work spans exercise science, behavioral medicine, and public health research. “We know physical activity and exercise are effective for improving health and wellbeing,” she said. “We need to figure out effective ways to help people stay active in ways that fit their unique lifestyle and circumstances.”

While she may not be competing in the WNBA, Kinsey is undoubtedly making significant strides towards improving public health, one exercise snack at a time.

Learn more about both of Kinsey’s Forge AHEAD Projects, OVERCOME-IT and an integrated cardiometabolic intervention, as well as her other research at UAB.

Kinsey’s Forge AHEAD Projects:

“For some health outcomes, consistent resistance training twice a week can be as effective as three to five days of aerobic exercise,”

What are Exercise Snacks?

Kinsey defines exercise snacks as brief bursts of physical activity lasting up to five minutes that can be incorporated throughout the day.

Kinsey putting up some shots after completing her resistance training workout at the gym.

Xie Aims to Bridge Gap Between Science and Community Health

In a region grappling with persistent health disparities, Rongbing Xie, DrPH, MPH, a scholar at the Forge AHEAD Center, is working to bring academic studies closer to the communities they aim to serve. Xie recently participated in the 2024 Community Engaged Research Summer Institute, hosted by the Mississippi Center for Clinical and Translational Research (MCCTR) at the University of Southern Mississippi, designed to enhance community engagement in health research.

The institute provided Xie with new perspectives on conducting impactful research.

From Academia to Action

Xie anticipates her experience and skills gained through the Summer Institute will significantly influence her current research. Specifically, she will be able to “develop more effective strategies for recruiting and retaining participants, particularly among underserved populations.”

At the institute, Xie and her fellow scholars engaged in hands-on community research practices. She plans to incorporate these strategies into her future work, including focus groups and community advisory boards.

“I plan to adopt the comprehensive community engagement strategies learned during the institute to ensure that community voices are heard and incorporated at every stage of my research projects,” she explained. “This includes conducting focus groups, community advisory boards and regular feedback sessions.”

The Power of Mentorship

Xie’s experience was enriched by mentorship from experts like Forge AHEAD Community Engagement Core lead Caroline Compretta, Ph.D.

“Working with Dr. Caroline Compretta during the MCCTR Summer Institute has been an eye-opening experience,” Xie said. “Her expertise in community engagement and outreach has significantly influenced my approach to involving communities in my research.”

This mentorship reinforced for Xie the importance of community partnerships in research.

Rongbing Xie, DrPh, MPH

Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, UAB Heersink School of Medicine

Learn more about Xie.

“The most valuable lesson I took away from the institute is the critical importance of integrating community perspectives into every phase of the research process.”

A Lesson for Life

As the institute drew to a close, Xie carried with her a profound realization: the community isn’t just the subject of research – they’re partners in the journey to better health.

“The most valuable lesson I took away from the institute is the critical importance of integrating community perspectives into every phase of the research process,” she explains. “This approach not only enhances the relevance and impact of the research but also fosters trust and cooperation between researchers and community members.”

Why This Matters

Xie’s experience at the Summer Institute has implications far beyond her individual research. The health challenges she’s addressing – obesity, diabetes, and high blood pressure – affect communities across America, with some groups disproportionately impacted.

By fostering stronger connections between researchers and communities, initiatives like the MCCTR Summer Institute aim to create more effective, culturally sensitive interventions. This approach could lead to improved health outcomes and a reduction in long-standing health inequities.

A Call to Action

Xie’s journey highlights the need for collaboration between researchers, community leaders, and citizens in tackling public health challenges. As she returns to her work with her Forge AHEAD projects, her experience serves as a reminder of the potential for academic research to drive meaningful change when rooted in community engagement.

Xie’s Forge AHEAD Projects:

What is Community-Based Participatory Research?

Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) is a collaborative approach that combines knowledge and action to improve community health and reduce disparities.

Key Features:

Equal Partnership: Community members and researchers share power and responsibility throughout the research process.
Cultural Relevance: Methods and interventions are tailored to fit the cultural context of the community.
Community Focused: Research addresses issues important to the community.
Empowerment: Builds on community strengths and resources.
Action and Change: Uses results to promote social change and improve health.
Sustainability: Aims for long-term benefits and lasting relationships.

CBPR makes research more ethical, relevant, and beneficial by actively involving communities and addressing their specific needs.

For more information, refer to the article “Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR): Towards Equitable Involvement of Community in Psychology Research” published in American Psychologist.

2024 Community Engaged Research Summer Institute Participants

Xie presenting one of her Forge AHEAD projects at the Summer Institute