Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106529

Pamela Jean Surkan, MS, Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, 677 Huntington Ave, Kresge Building 6th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, 617-423-1000, psurkan@hsph.harvard.edu, Louise M. Ryan, PhD, Department of Biostatistics, Harvard School of Public Health, 655 Huntington Avenue, 4th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, Harvey W. Bidwell, MD, MPH, South Boston Community Health Center, 409 West Broadway, South Boston, MA 02127, Daniel Brooks, DSc, Department of Epidemiology, Boston University School of Public Health, 715 Albany Street, Boston, MA 02118, Karen E. Peterson, ScD, RD, Departments of Nutrition and of Society, Human Development and Health, Harvard School of Public Health, Harvard Prevention Research Center, 677 Huntington Avenue, III-617, Boston, MA 02115, and Matthew W. Gillman, MD, MS, Harvard Medical School, 133 Brookline Ave., 6th floor, Boston, MA 02215.

Background: Understanding psychosocial and environmental factors influencing physical activity is important in community-based interventions. Methods: This study assessed the association of regular and any recent leisure-time physical activity with physical and mental well-being, social support, and perception of civic trust and reciprocity in a working-class Boston neighborhood. The South Boston Public Health Initiative, a community-academic partnership, developed study priorities through a participatory community process, with the aim of ultimately applying results to local intervention programs. We surveyed 409 adults by telephone between October 1999 – January 2000 using methodology from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). Results: Adjusted for demographic correlates, predictors of regular physical activity included feeling energetic/healthy (odds ratio [OR]=1.7, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.3-2.3 for each 1 of 4 categories), being worried/tense/anxious (OR=0.7, 95% CI 0.5-1.0), experiencing pain that interferes with usual activities (OR=0.5, 95% CI 0.3-0.8), suffering sadness/depression (OR=0.7, 95% CI, 0.5-0.9), getting inadequate sleep or rest (OR=0.8, 95% CI 0.6-1.0) and feeling satisfied with life (OR=1.6, 95% CI 1.0-2.6, for very satisfied versus other). A model fully adjusted for demographic and psychosocial variables suggests a strong relationship between participation in regular physical activity and the perception that one's neighbors can be trusted (OR=2.3, 95% 0.9-5.6). We found similar associations for participation in any recent physical activity. Conclusions: Lack of energy, feelings of anxiety, pain, sadness, poor sleep and dissatisfaction with life were associated with low leisure-time physical activity levels. Further studies are needed to explore relationships between neighborhood trust and participation in physical activity.

Learning Objectives:

• *Describe use of a community participatory process to develop study priorities
• *Identify psychosocial correlates of participation in physical activity
• *Discuss future studies to further the understanding of factors associated with participation in physical activity in working-class low-income neighborhoods

Keywords: Physical Activity, Community-Based Partnership

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.