A JUGAR!: UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERIENCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY (PA) AND INFLUENCES ON PA ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS IN U.S. CHILDREN OF IMMIGRANTS
Open Access
- Author:
- Ross, Sharon E.
- Graduate Program:
- Biobehavioral Health
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 05, 2011
- Committee Members:
- Lori Anne Francis, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Lori Anne Francis, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Collins O Airhihenbuwa, Committee Member
Patricia Barthalow Koch, Committee Member
Robert William Schrauf, Committee Member
Edgar Paul Yoder, Committee Member - Keywords:
- physical activity
immigrant
public health
obesity
health promotion
children - Abstract:
- Immigrants and their U.S.-born children comprise and increasing proportion of the total U.S. population, the majority of which are Hispanic. Hispanic children have higher rates of overweight and lower rates of physical activity than their non-Hispanic white counterparts. With obesity reaching epidemic levels in the U.S., physical activity has been identified as an important behavior to combat obesity, and maintain a healthy lifestyle and prevent disease. However, the role of culture and context in Hispanic children and children of immigrants’ physical activity attitudes, preferences, and behaviors is not well understood. The aim of this research was to examine the way in which different levels of the ecological model, including intrapersonal, interpersonal, community and societal-level factors, were related to the physical activity behaviors and weight status of Hispanic children and children of immigrants. In the first study (Chapter 2), we examined the associations among immigrant generation and language with relative weight (BMI z-scores), physical activity, screen time, and participation in extracurricular activities (i.e., sports, clubs) in a nationally representative sample of 6-11 year old Hispanic children. This study found that compared to 3rd generation, English-speaking children, 1st and 2nd generation, non-English speaking children were more likely to be overweight, and less likely to participate in regular physical activity and sports. In the second study (Chapter 3), we investigated whether this relationship was present in a nationally representative sample of youth (10-17 years), and whether participation in physical activity and sports was equally protective across youth immigrant generation and sex. This study confirmed the findings from the previous study that physical activity tends to increase and weight status tends to decrease with subsequent generations living in the U.S. Furthermore, results revealed that engaging in physical activity was protective against overweight for 3rd generation boys and girls, while participation in sports conferred protection against overweight in 1st generation boys and 3rd generation girls, only. In the third study (Chapter 4), we took a mixed methods approach to explore the experience of physical activity in Hispanic children of immigrants (1st and 2nd generation), including examining the children’s specific physical activity attitudes, preferences, and behaviors. This study revealed that children spent the majority of their time in sedentary activity (87%), did not differ in their preferences of sedentary or moderate-vigorous activities, and uncovered specific negative/positive attitudes toward physical activity. Furthermore, barriers and facilitators of children’s physical activity were related to the parent/home environment, school and neighborhood context. Taken together, these three studies provide evidence that the determinants of physical activity in Hispanic children and children of immigrants are multi-factorial, and various levels of the ecological model, including intrapersonal, interpersonal, community, and societal-level factors affect children’s physical activity, sport participation, and subsequent weight status. Furthermore, cultural factors, such as immigrant generation and language, and other poverty-specific factors, should be taken into account when designing multi-leveled interventions to increase physical activity in low-income immigrant families.