Description
Acculturation appears to have a relationship to physical activity participation among Latinos, yet studies are inconsistent on the directionality of this relationship. The objective of this study was to understand how acculturation is related to leisure time moderate-tovigorous physical activity (MVPA) participation among Latina women. Data were drawn from the Familias Sanas y Activas II study, restricted to bilingual (or monolingual Spanish) Latinas aged 18-69 (n=414). Acculturation was assessed by proxy measures and an acculturation scale: generation status, years of residence in the U.S., age of arrival in the U.S., and Marín & Gamba's Bidimensional Acculturation Scale. Leisure time MVPA was defined as at least 10 minute bouts of physical activity that increase the heart rate during sports, fitness, and recreational activities, and was measured through self-reported metabolic equivalent task (MET) minutes per week using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire. Spearman's correlations were performed to identify potential confounders. Of the Latinas studied, 82.9% were first generation immigrants. The mean years of residence was 15.1 years and the mean age of arrival was at 24.4 years of age. Sixty two percent of the women were classified as traditional and 37.4% were classified as bicultural based on the acculturation scale. An independent samples t-test indicated that women who arrived in the U.S. prior to age 25 engaged in more MET minutes of leisure time MVPA compared to women who arrived in the U.S. after age 25 (p < .05). Generation status, years of residence in the U.S., and acculturation domains were not significantly related to physical activity. Findings suggest that future public health interventions that aim to increase physical activity among Latino immigrants should target those who arrive in the U.S. as adults. Worksite or community-based interventions may be key to achieving this aim.
