The results corroborate previous studies that suggest high levels of depression in immigrant women, but additional validation is suggested to differentiate symptoms of depressed mood from clinical depression in this culture. Findings also suggest that interventions that encourage use of English language and enhance resilience may help decrease symptoms of depression in midlife women who are recent immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

This study was part of a multi-site project carried out with seven universities throughout the United States to identify cultural, environmental, and policy determinants of physical activity in ethnic minority women aged 20 to 50 years. Following an extensive literature review, nine core research questions were created to examine potential barriers to physical activity as well as enabling factors. Methods and findings presented are from six focus groups of low-income, urban African American women. These focus groups were held at each of two health centers serving communities in Chicago, Illinois, that are predominantly African American and low income and have households usually headed by women. Forty-eight women participated, with 5 to 11 in each group. Most (85%) were unmarried, 40% had less than a high school education, and 33% were neither employed nor attending school. Findings reflected the influence of a culture of poverty and the importance of environmental safety and community support. The findings will be used to inform the development of community-based exercise interventions and policies that are culturally and socially sensitive to the needs of low-income, urban African American women.

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These results suggest that both self-efficacy for overcoming barriers and adherence during the intervention phase play a role in women's walking adherence. The findings reflect dynamic patterns of adopting and maintaining new behavior.

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The purposes of this study were to: (a) identify which determinants of physical activity among African American and Caucasian women predict adherence to a 24-week home-based walking program; and (b) explore differences between African American and Caucasian women. Participants were 153 working women who were sedentary at leisure. The program included an exercise prescription, instructions, and support. Background determinants included demographics, previous exercise experience, and social role influences. Intrapersonal determinants (self-efficacy, self-determinism) were measured at baseline and 24 weeks. Adherence was measured with heart rate monitors and logs. Adherence was significantly higher in Caucasians, those with less previous exercise experience, and those with higher self-efficacy. Findings suggest that adherence to a walking program is influenced by multiple factors including background and intrapersonal determinants of physical activity.

Although it is widely accepted that persons become shorter as they grow older, most estimates of the rate of decline are based largely on cross-sectional studies and are confounded by secular changes and individual variation. The present study uses a mixed series of longitudinal physical measurements, obtained by the Busselton Population Studies Group, for nearly the entire adult population of Busselton, Western Australia. All persons in the sample who had a minimum of three measures at 3-year intervals are included in our analysis, regardless of health. Random regressions analysis of the individual height and age data is used to estimate the expected rate of decline of stature with age. A significant sex difference was found, with females declining at a greater rate than males, particularly after the age of 40.

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