Search

Background: Ethnic/racial minorities often live in neighborhoods that are not conducive to physical activity (PA) participation. We examined perceived factors related to walking/PA among Spanish- and English-speaking older Latinos in a low-income, multi-ethnic neighborhood., Method: Exploratory focus group study was conducted with Latinos stratified by preferred language and gender: English-speaking women (n = 7, M age = 74.6); English-speaking men (n = 3, M age = 69.3); Spanish-speaking women (n = 5, M age = 66.4); Spanish-speaking men (n = 5, M age = 74.0). Focus group audio files were transcribed, and qualitative research software was used to code and analyze documents., Results: At the individual level, reasons for exercising (improved health) and positive health outcome expectancies (weight loss and decreased knee pain) were discussed. Neighborhood/environmental factors of safety (fear of crime), neighborhood changes (lack of jobs and decreased social networks), weather, and destination walking were discussed., Discussion: Individual and environmental factors influence PA of older, urban Latinos, and should be taken into consideration in health promotion efforts., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between minutes spent participating in light and moderate/vigorous-intensity physical activity (PA) and cognition in older Latinos, controlling for demographics, chronic health problems, and acculturation., Method: A cross-sectional study design was used. Participants were self-identified Latinos, without disability, who had a score less than 14 on a 21-point Mini-Mental State Examination. Participants were recruited from predominantly Latino communities in Chicago at health fairs, senior centers, and community centers. PA was measured with an accelerometer, worn for 7 days. Episodic memory and executive function (inference control, inattention, and word fluency) were measured with validated cognitive tests., Results: Participants were 174 Latino men (n = 46) and women (n = 128) aged 50-84 years (M = 66 years). After adjusting for control variables (demographics, chronic health problems) and other cognitive measures, regression analyses revealed that minutes per day of light-intensity PA (r = -.51), moderate/vigorous PA (r = -.56), and counts per minute (r=-.62) were negatively associated with lower word fluency., Discussion: Findings suggest that the cognitive benefits of both light-intensity PA and moderate/vigorous PA may be domain-specific.

Background: To date, little is known about the physical activity (PA) levels and commonly reported modes of PA of older Latinos, and this information is critical to developing interventions for this population. The purpose of the current study was to examine PA assessed by self-report and accelerometer and to assess the influence of acculturation, gender, and age on the PA of urban community-dwelling older Latino adults., Methods: Participants were self-identified Latinos, primarily women (73%), and individuals aged 50 to 59 (31%), 60 to 69 (30%), and 70+ (39%). PA was measured with an accelerometer and the Community Healthy Activity Model Program for Seniors (CHAMPS) PA questionnaire., Results: Men reported engaging in, and objectively participated in, significantly more minutes of moderate/vigorous PA than women, but women reported greater light intensity household PA. Latinos aged 50 to 59 engaged in significantly more accelerometer-assessed PA than Latinos aged 60 to 69 and 70+, respectively. The majority of participants did not meet the PA Guidelines for Americans. No differences in PA were demonstrated by acculturation level. Older Latino men and women reported walking and dancing as modes of leisure PA., Conclusions: These findings suggest PA interventions should be targeted toward older Latinos, taking into account gender and age.

The rising costs of health and social support systems for an aging population will become unsustainable without proactive steps to create individual and environmental changes that promote successful aging. Unfortunately, many older adults do not currently have a healthy lifestyle and are at risk for poor health outcomes, including chronic illnesses and mortality. The authors review the behavioral and psychosocial correlates of health and well-being, which include resilience, self-efficacy, smoking, physical activity, diet, good sleep, and having a strong social network, and linked them to the concept of successful aging. They discuss the unique challenges of maintaining health behaviors among older adults over time and review 3 of the most common approaches to lifestyle intervention in older adults (ie, social cognitive theory, the transtheoretical model, and social ecological models). They conclude that initiation and maintenance of behaviors require perceptions of control (self-efficacy), a belief in the positive health outcomes for performing these behaviors, and a value for the outcome (outcome expectancy) for successful aging to be realized. Moreover, more research is needed that takes a broader ecological perspective that makes use of multilevel strategies to behavior change in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]