Perceived barriers to exercise and stage of exercise adoption in older women of different racial/ethnic groups.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether barriers to exercise differ among racial/ethnic groups at the same stage of exercise adoption and adjacent stages within racial/ethnic groups. Questions about stage of exercise adoption and perceived barriers to exercise were administered to a cross sectional sample of 745 African American, 660 Hispanic, 738 Native American/Native Alaskan, and 769 Caucasian U.S. women aged 40 years and older. Correlations between rankings of barriers among racial/ethnic groups within the same stage ranged from .43 to .89. For each racial/ethnic group, significant differences existed between adjacent stages in the percentage of women reporting barriers to interfere with exercise (p < .10). Barriers were not similar enough among racial/ethnic groups to recommend that the same barriers be addressed for all races/ethnicities.

Physical activity patterns of Chippewa and Menominee Indians: the Inter-Tribal Heart Project.

INTRODUCTION: Leisure-time (LTPA), occupational, transportation, and household physical activity were evaluated among participants in the Inter-Tribal Heart Project (ITHP). METHODS: Age-stratified random samples of persons aged > or =25 years were drawn from three communities of Chippewa and Menominee Indians in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Participants (843 women and 501 men) completed an interviewer-administered questionnaire. Logistic regression analyses were performed to assess age-adjusted associations between no reported LTPA and potential correlates. RESULTS: During leisure time, 12% of women and 17% of men were active 7-12 months in the past year; 33% of women and 21% of men reported no LTPA. During a typical workday for employed persons, approximately 90% of both genders walked > or =20 minutes, for carrying/lifting moderate to heavy objects the median value for men was 1 hour and women 0 hours. The median value of weekly household activity for men was 3 hours compared to 10 hours for women. Little transportation activity was reported by either gender. Age, household income, smoking, and poor/fair self-perceived health were associated with leisure-time inactivity in women (p < 0.05). Age, poor/fair self-perceived health, and smoking were associated with leisure-time inactivity in men (p < 0.05). Walking was the most prevalent activity in the population. CONCLUSIONS: Prevalence of leisure-time inactivity is higher than the national health objective of 15%, however, ITHP participants obtain a substantial amount of occupational and household activity that may lower risks of chronic diseases. Health promotion efforts to increase LTPA may lead not only to reduced chronic disease risk, but to additional benefits of enjoyment and improved psychological well-being.

Secular trends in ischemic heart disease mortality in California versus the United States, 1980 to 1991.

We compare the recent trends in ischemic heart disease mortality in California and the United States. Because California was among the first states to have declines in ischemic heart disease mortality, an examination of these recent trends may provide important clues for upcoming national trends. Age-adjusted and -specific ischemic heart disease mortality rates were calculated by sex for persons aged 35 and older during the years 1980 to 1991. Log-linear regression modeling was used to estimate the average annual percentage change in mortality. Between 1980 and 1991, the annual age-adjusted ischemic heart disease mortality declined less in California than in the United States for both women (1.9% versus 3.1%) and men (3.1% versus 3.5%). In California, it increased slightly between 1986 and 1990 for the oldest women and men. The slower rates of decline in mortality of this disease in California compared with the United States and the rising rates among the most elderly Californians suggest that careful attention should be paid to these trends in death rates of and risk factors for this disease in California.

Social class and race disparities in premature stroke mortality among men in North Carolina.

The purpose of this work was to examine the association between social class and premature stroke mortality among blacks and whites. For black men and white men in North Carolina, aged 35-54 years, mortality data from vital statistics files and population data from Census Public Use Microdata Sample files were matched according to social class for the years 1984-1993. Four categories of social class were defined based upon a two-dimensional classification scheme of occupations. For each category of social class, race-specific age-adjusted stroke mortality rates were calculated, and race-specific prevalences of income, wealth, education, unemployment, and disability were estimated. Women were excluded because comparable information on social class was not available from the mortality and population data sources. For both black men and white men, the highest rates of premature stroke mortality were observed among the lowest social classes. The rate ratios (RR) between the lowest and highest social class were 2.8 for black men and 2.3 for white men. Within each social class, black men had substantially higher rates of premature stroke mortality than white men (black-to-white RR ranged from 4.0 to 4.9). Among both black men and white men, the highest social class consistently had the most favorable levels of income, wealth, education, and employment. The inverse association between social class and stroke mortality for both black men and white men supports the need for stroke prevention efforts that address the structural inequalities in economic and social conditions.

Trends in mortality and health behaviors: status of white and African-American women.

A substantial proportion of mortality in the United States can be attributed to three major behaviors: using tobacco, maintaining an unhealthy diet, and being physically inactive. Using data from the South Carolina mortality files and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System we were able to document state trends in mortality, cigarette smoking, physical inactivity, and unhealthy dietary practices. We found that, in spite of the declines in heart disease and stroke mortality noted nationally and in the state, the risk factor profiles for most women in South Carolina did not improve. This analysis further suggests that physical inactivity and dietary issues (excess caloric intake, low fruit and vegetable consumption) would be good choices for lifestyle interventions among women in South Carolina, not only because they ultimately affect mortality, but also because they exert interim effects on morbidity, including physical functioning and independence.