Determinants of Leisure Time Physical Activity Participation Among Latina Women

Abstract

The goal of this study was to examine leisure time physical activity (LTPA) among Latina women and to determine factors influencing their LTPA participation. The ecological model was employed as a theoretical framework in order to examine attitudes, social support, and constraints affecting physical activity. Surveys and in-depth interviews were used to collect data. Results showed that although women's LTPA participation was low, they had positive attitudes toward LTPA, and they believed they had high levels of support for LTPA. The most often mentioned constraints included lack of child-care and lack of time. Attitudes toward LTPA, social support for LTPA, and certain constraints were significant predictors of LTPA participation. Results of the in-depth interviews complemented the survey data.

Keywords:

• attitudes
• constraints
• leisure time physical activity
• Latina
• social support

This study has been funded by a grant from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (Active Living Research program; ALR grant # 714RWJF052957)

Notes

∗Coefficient significant at p < 0.10

∗∗Coefficient significant at p < 0.05

¹According to CDC (2006), “All questions related to leisure-time physical activity were phrased in terms of current behavior and lack a specific reference period. Vigorous physical activity is described as causing heavy sweating or a large increase in breathing or heart rate and light/moderate as causing light sweating or a slight to moderate increase in breathing or heart rate. Adults classified as inactive did not report any sessions of light/moderate or vigorous leisure-time physical activity of at least 10 minutes duration or reported they were unable to perform leisure-time physical activity” (p. 516).