Journal of physical activity & health
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Racial health disparities are more pronounced among older adults. Few studies have examined how racism influences health behaviors. This study's purpose was to examine how opportunities for physical activity (PA) and community racism are associated with older racial minorities' reported engagement in PA. We also investigated how PA levels influenced health. ⋯ Results suggested that negative effects of community racism were counteracted through increased opportunities for PA.
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Leisure-time sitting-time (LTST) is seen as a possible independent risk-factor for physical and mental health, but research on psychological determinants is sparse. Associations between sitting-time and the personality dimensions of neuroticism, extroversion, openness, agreeableness, and conscientiousness, and the role of general self-efficacy (GSE) were investigated. ⋯ These cross-sectional results indicate that personality traits and GSE could be considered as associates of LTST; but future longitudinal data are necessary to make causal statements and rule out alternative models fitting data.
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Back pain and related disability seem to be increasing among older adults. Health-related fitness tests have been developed to identify individuals at risk for mobility difficulties. However, poor fitness as a risk factor for back problems has seldom been studied. The purpose of the current study was to investigate whether performance in fitness tests predicts back pain and related disability during 6 years of follow-up. ⋯ Tests of balance, trunk flexibility and trunk muscle endurance, as well as BMI can be implemented as screening tools for identifying persons with increased risk of back pain and related disability.
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The quality of methodological papers assessing physical activity instruments depends upon the rigor of a study's design. ⋯ Checklists may be useful to assess the quality of studies designed to validate physical activity instruments. Future research should test checklist internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and criterion validity.