Race/ethnicity And Leisure Time Physical Inactivity

Abstract

Social class and occupational physical activity (PA) are hypothesized to confound the relationship between race/ethnicity and leisure time physical inactivity, yet these variables are rarely measured and analyzed in the health disparity literature. PURPOSE (a) describe the prevalence of leisure time physical inactivity in a nationally representative sample of non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic/Latino men and women, (b) describe the prevalence of inactivity between these racial/ethnic groups across different indicators of social class, and (c) describe the relationship between occupational PA and leisure time inactivity in different racial/ethnic groups, independent of other social class indicators. METHODS The National Physical Activity and Weight Loss Survey (NPAWLS) was a nationwide random-digit-dialed telephone survey conducted between Sept. and Dec. 2002 of non-institutionalized U.S. adults (4,695 men, 6,516 women). Self-reported PA was assessed using the same questions as the 2001 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Respondents who reported no moderate- or vigorous-intensity PA during leisure time in a usual week were classified as inactive. Occupational PA was assessed using questions about the time spent sitting and standing, walking, and performing heavy labor at work. Indicators of social class were education level, family income, and employment status. RESULTS Based on responses from 9,806 adults, the age-adjusted prevalence (per 100) of physical inactivity was 10 (SE = 0.6) and 12 (SE = 0.6) among white men and women, respectively; 19 (SE = 2.5) and 25 (SE = 2.1) among non-Hispanic black men and women, and 21 (SE = 2.1) and 27 (SE = 2.5) among Hispanic/Latino men and women. Within each racial/ethnic group, the prevalence of inactivity was highest among participants with lower social class. Differences in inactivity between racial/ethnic groups became less evident after accounting for social class. The odds of being inactive during leisure time did not differ significantly across quartiles of occupational physical activity. This finding was consistent for each racial/ethnic group, and after adjusting for age, sex, and social class. CONCLUSIONS Non-Hispanic blacks and Hispanic/Latinos are more inactive during leisure time than their Non-Hispanic white counterparts. Social class, but not occupational PA, appears to moderate the relationship between race/ethnicity and leisure time inactivity. Supported by a CDC Cooperative Agreement (SIP 20_01), U48/CCU409664.