The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #66866

Nancy L. Weaver, MPH¹, J. Michael Bowling, PhD², Kim S. Naleid, BS¹, Stephen W. Marshall, PhD³, and Matthew W. Kreuter, PhD, MPH¹. (1) Health Communication Research Laboratory, Saint Louis University, 3545 Lafayette Ave, St. Louis, MO 63104, 314-977-4011, weavernl@slu.edu, (2) Health Behavior and Health Education, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB 7440, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, (3) Department of Epidemiology, and Injury Prevention Research Center, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#7505, Chase Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-7505

Engaging in regular physical activity can increase longevity and quality of life. However, even though the benefits of physical activity are well known and the evidence for its role in disease prevention is compelling, a majority of individuals do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity. A commonly reported, but poorly understood reason for not engaging in physical activity is the presence of an injury. This study describes the recent injury experience of a population of 1104 lower-income adults and their perceptions of how injury affected their physical activity. Analysis showed that one third (33%) of respondents reported at least one injury in the past year. Twenty percent of most recent injuries were related to work activities and 83% occurred during physical activity. Specifically, a majority of respondents indicated that their injury affected “a lot” their overall physical activity (45%), frequency of physical activity (32%), duration of physical activity (32%), enjoyment of physical activity (35%), types of physical activity (39%) and the amount of vigorous physical activity (36%). By understanding more clearly how injury affects physical activity, health promotion efforts can address this factor more directly and effectively in encouraging physical activity. For example, it may be more important that information for injured adults focus on how they can safely return to physical activity, whereas the same information for sedentary individuals focuses on how they can adopt a physically active lifestyle while minimizing their risk of injury.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand the perceived impact that injury has on physical activity; recognize important considerations in encouraging physical activity

Keywords: Physical Activity, Injury

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.