Physical Activity Among Somali Men in Minnesota

Immigrants and refugees arrive to the United States healthier than the general population, but this advantage declines with increasing duration of residence. One factor contributing to this decline is suboptimal physical activity, but reasons for this are poorly understood. Persons from Somalia represent the largest African refugee population to the United States, yet little is known about perceptions of physical activity among Somali men. Somali members of a community-based participatory research partnership implemented three age-stratified focus groups and three semistructured interviews among 20 Somali men in Rochester, Minnesota. Team-based inductive analysis generated themes for barriers and facilitators to physical activity. Barriers to physical activity included less walking opportunities in the United States, embarrassment about exercise clothing and lack of familiarity with exercise equipment/modalities, fear of harassment, competing priorities, facility costs, transportation, and winter weather. Facilitators to physical activity included high knowledge about how to be active, success stories from others in their community as inspiration, and community cohesion. Findings may be used to derive interventions aimed to promote physical activity among Somali men in the United States.

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“How Come You Sent Me the Canadian One?” Application and Uptake of the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults With Multiple Sclerosis in the United States

Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly ◽

10.1123/apaq.2020-0136 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 1-22

Author(s):

Whitney N. Neal ◽

Emma Richardson ◽

Robert W. Motl

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

United States ◽

Multiple Sclerosis ◽

Thematic Analysis ◽

The United States ◽

Exercise Behavior ◽

Dissemination And Implementation ◽

Multifaceted Approach ◽

Physical Activity Guidelines ◽

Semistructured Interviews

The uptake and benefits of the Canadian Physical Activity Guidelines for Adults with Multiple Sclerosis (PAGs) have been validated, but there is limited understanding regarding the knowledge, needs, and preferences of people with multiple sclerosis (MS) for implementing the PAGs outside of clinical research. The authors conducted online, semistructured interviews with 40 persons with MS from across the United States seeking information on awareness of and potential approaches for increasing the uptake of the PAGs. They identified first impressions and potential approaches for increasing the uptake of the PAGs through inductive, semantic thematic analysis. Participants perceived the PAGs as a good introduction for structured exercise but desired more information on how to meet the PAGs. Participants further believed that modifying the PAGs for inclusivity and applying a multifaceted approach for dissemination and implementation may increase uptake of exercise behavior. Physical activity research in MS should include both analyzing the effects of exercise and the unique challenges faced by persons with MS in putting the PAGs into practice.

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An Observational Assessment of Park-based Physical Activity in Older Adults in Nanchang, China

American Journal of Health Behavior ◽

10.5993/ajhb.43.6.9 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 43 (6) ◽

pp. 1119-1128

Author(s):

Justin B. Moore ◽

Kristyn Schuller ◽

Angelie Cook ◽

Yuanan Lu ◽

Zhaokang Yuan ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

United States ◽

Older Adults ◽

East Asia ◽

Healthy Aging ◽

The United States ◽

Audit Tool ◽

Observational Assessment ◽

Park Use ◽

Exercise Equipment

Objectives: Parks are more widely used by older adults in East Asia than in the United States. Parks are an important community asset for healthy aging; yet, little is known about park usage and features among older adults in China. Methods: The Community Park Audit Tool and the System for Observing Play and Recreation (SOPARC) were used to assess park features, PA levels and primary activities among 40,469 older adults in Nanchang, China. Results: None of the 8 parks observed had basketball courts or baseball fields and only one had a playground. Results indicated that about half of older adults were active in parks, with women, cooler temperatures, weekdays, and morning hours being related to higher levels of activity. Conclusions: Lessons from the construction of parks in China may be useful in increasing park use in older adults in western countries. Features such as exercise equipment, water features, and small exercise areas were common where western parks are often designed with features for teens and youth including basketball courts, baseball fields, and playgrounds.

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Physical Activity Attitudes, Preferences, and Practices in African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian Girls

Health Education & Behavior ◽

10.1177/1090198105282416 ◽

2006 ◽

Vol 33 (1) ◽

pp. 40-51 ◽

Cited By ~ 68

Author(s):

Mira Grieser ◽

Maihan B. Vu ◽

Ariane L. Bedimo-Rung ◽

Dianne Neumark-Sztainer ◽

Jamie Moody ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

United States ◽

African American ◽

The United States ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Middle School Girls ◽

Semistructured Interviews ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Negative Perceptions ◽

School Girls

Physical activity levels in girls decline dramatically during adolescence, most profoundly among minorities. To explore ethnic and racial variation in attitudes toward physical activity, semistructured interviews ( n = 80) and physical activity checklists ( n = 130) are conducted with African American, Hispanic, and Caucasian middle school girls in six locations across the United States. Girls from all groups have similar perceptions of the benefits of physical activity, with staying in shape as the most important. Girls have similar negative perceptions of physical activity, including getting hurt, sweating, aggressive players, and embarrassment. Chores, running or jogging, exercises, and dance are common activities for girls regardless of ethnicity. Basketball, swimming, running, and dance are commonly cited favorite activities, although there are slight differences between ethnic groups. The results suggest that factors other than ethnicity contribute to girls’ physical activity preferences and that distinct interventions may not be needed for each ethnic group.

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Effects of trees, gardens, and nature trails on heat index and child health: design and methods of the Green Schoolyards Project

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-020-10128-2 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Kevin Lanza ◽

Melody Alcazar ◽

Deanna M. Hoelscher ◽

Harold W. Kohl

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

United States ◽

Relative Humidity ◽

Air Temperature ◽

The United States ◽

Heat Index ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Natural Setting ◽

Physical Activity Levels ◽

Nature Trails

Abstract Background Latinx children in the United States are at high risk for nature-deficit disorder, heat-related illness, and physical inactivity. We developed the Green Schoolyards Project to investigate how green features—trees, gardens, and nature trails—in school parks impact heat index (i.e., air temperature and relative humidity) within parks, and physical activity levels and socioemotional well-being of these children. Herein, we present novel methods for a) observing children’s interaction with green features and b) measuring heat index and children’s behaviors in a natural setting, and a selection of baseline results. Methods During two September weeks (high temperature) and one November week (moderate temperature) in 2019, we examined three joint-use elementary school parks in Central Texas, United States, serving predominantly low-income Latinx families. To develop thermal profiles for each park, we installed 10 air temperature/relative humidity sensors per park, selecting sites based on land cover, land use, and even spatial coverage. We measured green features within a geographic information system. In a cross-sectional study, we used an adapted version of System for Observing Play and Recreation in Communities (SOPARC) to assess children’s physical activity levels and interactions with green features. In a cohort study, we equipped 30 3rd and 30 4th grade students per school during recess with accelerometers and Global Positioning System devices, and surveyed these students regarding their connection to nature. Baseline analyses included inverse distance weighting for thermal profiles and summing observed counts of children interacting with trees. Results In September 2019, average daily heat index ranged 2.0 °F among park sites, and maximum daily heat index ranged from 103.4 °F (air temperature = 33.8 °C; relative humidity = 55.2%) under tree canopy to 114.1 °F (air temperature = 37.9 °C; relative humidity = 45.2%) on an unshaded playground. 10.8% more girls and 25.4% more boys interacted with trees in September than in November. Conclusions We found extreme heat conditions at select sites within parks, and children positioning themselves under trees during periods of high heat index. These methods can be used by public health researchers and practitioners to inform the redesign of greenspaces in the face of climate change and health inequities.

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