Racial/Ethnic Disparities and Determinants of Sufficient Physical Activity Levels

Abstract

Introduction. It is important to identify racial/ethnic groups that may be less likely to achieve sufficient physical activity levels, and to address barriers to meeting physical activity requirements. Methods. Cross-sectional data from the 2006-2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) was used to compare self-reported sufficient physical activity among different racial/ethnic groups: non-Hispanic (NH) Whites, NH Blacks, NH Asians, and Hispanics. Sufficient physical activity was defined as ≥150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity physical activity, ≥75 minutes per week of vigorous-intensity physical activity, or ≥150 minutes per week of moderate and vigorous physical activity. Results. The study sample consisted of 296,802 individuals, mean age ± standard error age 46.4 ± 0.10 years, 52% women, 70% NH White, 12% NH Black, 5% NH Asian, 14% Hispanic. The prevalence of sufficient physical activity in the overall population was 46%, while it was 48% among NH Whites, 39% among NH Blacks, 45% among NH Asians, and 40% among Hispanics. In multivariable-adjusted models (odds ratio; 95% confidence interval), NH Blacks (0.79; 0.64,0.97), NH Asians (0.72; 0.62,0.85) and Hispanics (0.71; 0.61,0.82) were significantly less likely to engage in sufficient physical activity compared with NH Whites. Older age, women, and low income were inversely associated with sufficient physical activity, while a college education or higher was directly associated with it. Conclusions. NH Black, NH Asian, and Hispanic adults are less likely to engage in sufficient physical activity levels compared with NH Whites. It is important to address barriers to meeting physical activity thresholds to help achieve optimal cardiovascular health.

Factors facilitating and hindering South Asian immigrant adults from engaging in exercise and physical activity – a qualitative systematic review

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Association between the Number of Days/Week of Different Levels of Physical Activity and Chronic Pain in People of Different Races: A Mendelian Randomization Study

“…Patel's research showed that even though the proportion of blacks and Hispanics who have sufficient physical activity is similar, there is a significant difference in the incidence of hypertension among them. In addition, the proportion of whites and Asians who have sufficient physical activity is similar, while whites are more than twice as likely as Asians to have coronary artery disease and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease [29]. Boyer's study revealed that similar levels of physical activity can reduce all-cause and diabetes-related mortality risk among non-Hispanic whites (and non-Hispanic blacks) but have no effect on Mexican Americans [30,31].…”

Racial Disparity in Anthracycline-induced Cardiotoxicity in Breast Cancer Patients

“…As we discussed above, lifestyle-related morbidities are known to predispose patients to the adverse effects of chemotherapy. It is essential to identify ethnic differences in adopting unhealthy lifestyles to comprehend racial/ethnic disparities in chemotherapy-induced cardiotoxicity [ 177 ].…”

“…Reportedly, ethnic minorities have usually adopted less healthy exercise behaviors than White persons, especially among adults. A study by Patel et al [ 177 ] analyzed physical activity levels among different racial/ethnic groups in the US population. White individuals were considerably more likely to engage in physical activity than Hispanic (40%) and African American people (38%) among 296,802 participants.…”

“…White individuals were considerably more likely to engage in physical activity than Hispanic (40%) and African American people (38%) among 296,802 participants. Stratifying for age, African Americans aged 45 to 64 were significantly less likely to exercise than other racial/ethnic groups [ 177 , 189 ]. Similarly, August and Sorkin’s study of 33,189 Californian adults aged 45 and older found that individuals belonging to racial/ethnic minority groups had lower levels of engagement in moderate or vigorous exercise than White subjects; these disparities were observed to be more prominent toward middle adulthood [ 189 ].…”