uniquely impact PA participation. The slow adaptation of measurement methods and inclusion of sexual orientation in PA research has further exacerbated the physical inactivity health disparities faced by LGBTQ+ persons. This call to action is aimed at highlighting potential discrepancies of reporting
Search Results
Reducing LGBTQ+ Physical Activity Disparities Through Improved Measurement and Inclusion of Sexual Orientation in US National Data Sets
Keegan T. Peterson and Melissa Bopp
Physical Activity Intervention Effects on Sedentary Time in Spanish-Speaking Latinas
Sheri J. Hartman, Dori Pekmezi, Shira I. Dunsiger, and Bess H. Marcus
behavior and related health disparities in this community. In fact, objectively measured data from a large population-based study of US Latino adults found that 74% of their time was spent in sedentary activities. Furthermore, results indicated an adverse relationship between such sedentary time and
Race, Cardiovascular Disease, and Vascular Health
Michael D. Brown and Dulce H. Gomez
Health disparities are preventable differences in the burden of disease, injury, violence, or opportunities to achieve optimal health that are experienced by socially disadvantaged populations ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013 ). They are experienced in the United States by
Physical Activity and Health Equity for Middle-Aged and Older Adults
David X. Marquez, Michelle A. Jaldin, Miguel Negrete, Melicia C. Whitt-Glover, and Crystal M. Glover
In recent years, discussion of health equity/disparities and social justice related to physical activity has gained momentum and visibility. This is, in part, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Health disparities adversely affect groups of people who have systematically and systemically experienced
Healthier Energy Balance Behaviors Most Important for Health-Related Quality of Life in Rural Cancer Survivors in Central Pennsylvania
Jenny L. Olson, Michael Robertson, Minxing Chen, David E. Conroy, Kathryn H. Schmitz, and Scherezade K. Mama
prioritized in strategies aiming to improve the HRQoL. Furthermore, these findings highlight a broader public health problem contributing to the health disparities faced by rural cancer survivors. Almost 40% of rural cancer survivors in this study were not performing any healthy lifestyle behaviors, except
Challenges and Future Directions for Promoting Intersectional Quantitative Studies in Physical Activity Research
Mari Sone, Teatske M. Altenburg, and Mai J.M. ChinAPaw
Understanding health disparities is crucial for improving social justice. Many studies have investigated how various social characteristics, such as gender, age, or socioeconomic position, are related to different health-promoting behaviors, including physical activity. In recent years, there has
8 Steps to Fitness: A Faith-Based, Behavior Change Physical Activity Intervention for African Americans
Melissa Bopp, Sara Wilcox, Marilyn Laken, Steven P. Hooker, Deborah Parra-Medina, Ruth Saunders, Kimberly Butler, Elizabeth A. Fallon, and Lottie McClorin
Background:
Physical activity (PA) participation offers many benefits especially among ethnic groups that experience health disparities. Partnering with faith-based organizations allows for a more culturally tailored approach to changing health behaviors.
Methods:
8 Steps to Fitness was a faith-based behavior-change intervention promoting PA among members of African American churches. A quasi-experimental design was used to examine differences between the intervention group (n=72) and comparison group (n = 74). Health (resting blood pressure, body mass index, waist-hip ratio, fasting blood glucose), psycho-social (PA self-efficacy, social support, enjoyment, self-regulation, depression), and behavioral variables (PA, diet) were assessed at baseline, 3- and 6-months. Repeated measures ANCOVAs tested changes across time between groups.
Results:
At 3-months, the intervention group showed significantly more favorable changes in body mass index, waist circumference and social support than the control group. At 6-months, the intervention group showed significantly more favorable changes in hip circumference, waist to hip ratio, systolic blood pressure, and depressive symptoms. There was notable attrition from both the intervention (36%) and the comparison group (58%).
Conclusions:
This study was conducted in a real-world setting, and provided insight into how to deliver a culturally-tailored PA intervention program for African Americans with a potential for dissemination.
Vigorous Physical Activity Among College Students in the United States
Toben F. Nelson, Steven L. Gortmaker, S. V. Subramanian, and Henry Wechsler
Background:
Vigorous physical activity (VPA) declines from adolescence into adulthood and social disparities in VPA exist. Physical activity is understudied in the college setting.
Methods:
VPA during high school and college was examined among 10,437 students attending 119 four-year colleges using gender-stratified logistic regression analyses.
Results:
Fewer students engaged in VPA in college compared with high school (males 74% to 52%; females 68% to 44%). Athletics was associated with VPA, but 51% participated in high school and 15% in college. Among females, African Americans, Asians, and students of lower socioeconomic position (SEP) were less likely to engage in VPA in college, adjusting for high school VPA. Among males, Asians and older students were less likely to engage in VPA.
Conclusions:
VPA declines from high school to college. Athletic participation is a determinant of VPA, but few participate in collegiate athletics. Social disparities in VPA emerge in college, an important setting for promoting VPA and addressing health disparities. Regular physical activity is an important contributor to human health. It is positively associated with longevity and may prevent or help manage diabetes, metabolic syndrome, overweight, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and colon cancer.1-8 Among children and adolescents, lack of physical activity is associated with higher body mass index.9-10 Physical activity is also associated with positive mood, self-esteem, and decreased anxiety.11-14
Increasing Inequality in Physical Activity Among Minnesota Secondary Schools, 2001–2010
Toben F. Nelson, Richard F. MacLehose, Cynthia Davey, Peter Rode, and Marilyn S. Nanney
widened over the study period, improving only in schools with historically white students. Increasing inequality in PA may contribute to subsequent health disparities for health outcomes associated with PA, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, bone health, and some cancers, 6 and
Racial/Ethnic Differences in Physical Activity in a Low-Income Sample in Texas
Nalini Ranjit, David J. Badillo, Deanna M. Hoelscher, Sarah Macias, Alejandra Gonzalez, and Anna V. Wilkinson
PA and nutrition classes and programs for populations that fall below prespecified threshold income and resource limits, with the goal of reducing PA- and diet-related health disparities. 15 Thus, our central aim is to examine PA levels by race/ethnicity, including leisure-time, work-related, and
