Home environments, physical activity, and energy expenditure among low-income overweight and obese women

ABSTRACT

Ecologic models of physical activity identify multiple environmental domains that influence activity levels, including the home. This study examined aspects of the home environment associated with objective measures of physical activity in overweight and obese women. Study participants were recruited through three federally qualified health centers in rural southwest Georgia as part of a randomized controlled trial of a home-environment-focused weight gain prevention intervention. Data collected from February 2011 to December 2012 were from 301 participants who completed baseline interviews and wore accelerometers for 7 days. Most were African American (83.4%) and obese (50.5%) or morbidly obese with body mass index ≥40 (35.6%). Mean age was 50.6 years. Participants were highly sedentary, with 7.9 hours of non-sedentary time per week, primarily in light activity. In a multivariate model, exercise equipment (p = .03), family support (p = .02), and full-time employment (p = .03) were positively associated with non-sedentary time, whereas age (p = .003), living in a more rural area (p = .03), and having an exercise space (p = .01) were negatively associated. Home environments may be promising targets for programs aimed at increasing activity levels among overweight and obese women.

KEYWORDS:

• African American
• home environment
• low-income
• obesity
• physical activity
• women

Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank members of the Emory Prevention Research Center’s Community Advisory Board for their guidance in the design and implementation of this research. The authors also wish to thank the interviewers, study participants, and Community Health Center partners for their valuable contributions to this research.

Funding

This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number #5U48DP001909 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this journal article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Additional information

Funding

This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number #5U48DP001909 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The findings and conclusions in this journal article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.