Abstract
BackgroundU.S. Latinos experience high rates of cardio-metabolic diseases and have high rates of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. Understanding the environmental factors associated with physical activity and sedentary behaviors among Latinos could inform future interventions. The purpose of this study is to explore the neighborhood environment correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in a sample of U.S. Latino adults.MethodsCross-sectional study of 602 Latino adults in Lawrence, MA. Survey assessments of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and neighborhood environment were verbally administered. The neighborhood environment scale assessed violence, safety, aesthetic quality, walkability, availability of healthy foods, social cohesion, and activities with neighbors.ResultsAfter controlling forage, gender, education, body mass index (BMI), and smoking status, two variables were associated with the outcomes of interest. Living in more walkable neighborhoods was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in adequate levels of physical activity (>150 min per week, as recommended by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM)) (OR = 1.403, p = .018); and greater frequency of activities with neighbors was associated with greater sedentary behavior (β = .072, p = .05).ConclusionsThere were different neighborhood environment correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior in this Latino community. Focusing on a greater understanding of the distinct social and physical environmental correlates of physical activity and sedentary behavior may provide important insights for reducing CVD risk and health disparities among Latinos.
Highlights
U.S Latinos experience high rates of cardio-metabolic diseases and have high rates of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior
Less than one third (32.6 %) of White adults are obese compared to 42.5 % of Latino adults [3]
The purpose of this study was to explore the association between selected neighborhood environment factors and physical activity and sedentary behavior in a sample of Latino adults. Study design This is a cross-sectional analysis of the Lawrence Health and Well Being Study of Latino adults in the city of Lawrence, Massachusetts
Summary
U.S Latinos experience high rates of cardio-metabolic diseases and have high rates of physical inactivity and sedentary behavior. Latinos in the United States experience disproportionately high rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) [1, 2]. U.S Latino men (33.4 %) and women (30.7 %) aged 20 years and older have CVD [2, 5]. Both sedentary behavior and physical activity have been consistently identified as important for cardiometabolic disease prevention, including lower risk for obesity, diabetes, CVD, and all-cause mortality [1, 6]. Emerging research suggests that Latinos may be Silfee et al BMC Public Health (2016) 16:966 spending up to 74 % of their waking hours being sedentary [10]
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