Does Measurement Of Leisure Time Physical Activity Levels Reflect Accurate Physical Activity In Latino Adults?

PURPOSE Studies examining physical activity levels have employed samples primarily composed of non-Latino Whites and have focused on leisure time physical activity (LTPA). Additionally, few studies have investigated the relationship between acculturation and activity. The present study examined the recreational, occupational, and domestic physical activity of Latino adults using both subjective and objective measures. Additionally, the role played by acculturation in physical activity was investigated. METHODS Data were obtained from a sample of 155 Latinos (n = 86 female, n = 69 male). Comparisons were made between Latinos who engaged in high levels of LTPA and those who engaged in low levels of LTPA. In addition, alternative analyses of activity and acculturation of those Latinos with high levels of LTPA but little or no occupational/domestic activity (n = 39) were compared with those engaging in little or no LTPA but high occupational/domestic (non-LTPA) levels of physical activity (n = 34). RESULTS It was demonstrated that participants reporting high levels of LTPA had significantly higher daily activity counts (M= 378649 counts/day) than Latinos with low levels of LTPA (M= 300282 counts/day). However, no significant difference was noted in overall MET hours per week (M = 208 and 189 MET hrs/wk, respectively). In alternative analyses that took into account levels of non-LTPA, the significant difference in daily activity counts was eradicated (M= 366778 and 325670 counts/day, respectively), and Latinos with low levels of LTPA but high levels of non-LTPA had greater overall activity (M= 168 and 198 MET hrs/wk, respectively). Additionally, it was demonstrated that acculturation was related to occupational activity, however, was ot related to recreational activity. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that measurement of all types of physical activity of Latinos is important, and that acculturation may be a correlate of various types of physical activity. Funding for this study was provided by an NIH Minority Predoctoral Fellowship (#AG05921), a grant from the National Institute on Aging (#AG12113), a UIUC Graduate College Dissertation Research Grant, and the Paul D. Doolen Scholarship.