Neighborhood Characteristics and Physical Activity Promotion in African Americans

BACKGROUND: Fifty percent of African American men and 67% of African American women report little to no participation in leisure-time physical activity. Environmental and sociocultural factors influence health behaviors, such as physical activity. Oftentimes, adequate community supports are not in place to help people live physically active lives. THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVE: With its emphasis on individuals' interactions with their physical and social surroundings, a socioecological model is a productive framework for understanding physical activity promotion. PURPOSE: The purpose of this descriptive, correlational cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between neighborhood characteristics and physical activity behavior in African Americans. METHODS: The International Physical Activity Questionnaire and its Environmental Module were self-administered to 200 African Americans, 79% females and 21% males, living in the San Francisco Bay Area. The mean age was 45 years. RESULTS: Almost 50% of the sample lived in detached, single houses and 30% of them lived in a mix of single-family residences. Environmental neighborhood characteristics that had a positive, moderate association with physical activity behavior were well-maintained sidewalks, a transit stop within 10 to 15 minutes from home, and four-way intersections. Environmental neighborhood characteristics that had an inverse, moderate association with physical activity behavior were free or low-cost recreation facilities; stores within walking distance from home; neighborhood group physical activity opportunities; well-maintained bicycle paths; neighborhood beautification; and crime reduction efforts to make it safe to walk at night. Neighborhood traffic was not associated with physical activity behavior. CONCLUSIONS: A majority of the sample viewed their neighborhoods as being physical-activity unfriendly with improvements needed in the infrastructure of the neighborhood (physical environment) as well as neighborhood opportunities to participate in physical activity (social environment). IMPLICATIONS: Addressing socioecological factors when designing community-based interventions can increase physical activity behavior in African Americans. Funded by American Cancer Society, National (RSGT-04-257-01 CPPB).