Chinese Community Fitness Day as a venue to introduce daily adaptable physical activities in a Chinese immirgrant population

The Chinese Community Health Resource Center (CCHRC) held the nation's first Chinese Community Fitness Day to address low activity and rising obesity levels in the U.S. as reported in the National Health and Nutrition Examination 1999-2002, findings that approximately one-third of all adults are obese (BMI>30). The goals of the Fitness Day are to 1) raise awareness of physical activity, 2) introduce adaptable daily exercises for toddlers to seniors, 3) gather baseline information from a Chinese immigrant population and 4) empower youth.

The Fitness Day drew more than 1,500 participants and 300 youth volunteers from the Bay Area, and 35.3% participants completed a lifestyle evaluation in Chinese or English (n=636). The ethnic profile of participants was predominately Chinese (96.8%), 87.6% were immigrants, 31.1% were male and 66.2% female (2.7% no answer), age range = 14-102 years.

Participant response regarding exercise in the past week showed: 22.6% did not exercise, 23.3% exercise 1-2 times, 18.7% exercised 3-4 times, 29.2% more than 4 times, 2.0% did not know/was not sure, 1.9% refused to answer and 2.3% did not respond. Assessing their own physical activity level from high to none, 5.8% rated none, 35.5% low, 47.8% moderate, 6.3% high, 1.1% did not know/was not sure, 1.9% refused to answer and 1.6% did not response. After attending the Fitness Day, 38.8% of respondents indicated that their physical activity level will stay the same, 44.3% will increase their level, 12.9% did not know/was not sure, 3.0% refused to answer and 1.0% did not respond.