Addressing Physical Activity Disparities Among Vulnerable Minorities - An Observational Project

INTRODUCTION: Vulnerable minorities (VM), defined as Black & Latino individuals belonging to a low socioeconomic status, experience significant barriers to being healthy. Physical Activity (PA) is an effective preventive behavior to maintain health. VMs have low PA participation due in part to economic & resource barriers. Finding ways to engage VMs in PA is imperative. PURPOSE: To address economic & PA-resource barriers faced by VMs to promote higher rates of PA. METHODS: Sixteen participants from a Midwest urban community (Age = 40.1 ± 7.9 y; 10 F; 87.5% Black) were provided with a 3-month membership to their local fitness facility. Participants were referred to fitness center staff to assist them with developing a PA plan. The facility was located <10mins from the boundary of the community & provided numerous onsite offerings including on-site childcare. Participants completed surveys at the start of the intervention that asked about self-reported PA, barriers to PA, willingness to change PA behavior (COM-B), & experiences exercising at the facility. RESULTS: Four women (Age = 32.8 ± 3.1y; BMI = 38.3 ± 7.4 kg/m2) & 4 men (Age = 46.8 ± 6.9y; BMI = 26.9 ± 4.9 kg/m2) completed the survey. Men reported more moderate-to-vigorous PA (M: 232.5 ± 113.2 min/wk., F: 152.5 ± 143.6 min/wk., d = -0.62) & total PA (M: 260.8 ± 125.3 min/wk., F: 166.5 ± 159.5 min/wk., d = -0.66) than women. Men reported facing more barriers to PA than women, including time (d = -0.56); access to equipment (d = -1.64); looking after dependents (d = -1.11); & social support (d = -1.08). COM-B scores (α = 0.82) suggest that men were physically (M: 4.3 ± 0.5, F: 3.3 ± 0.9, d = -1.31) & psychologically (M: 4.3 ± 0.9, F: 3.5 ± 1.3, d = -0.88) able to change PA behavior more than women. Small differences were detected for physical (M: 3.8 ± 1.5, F: 3.3 ± 1.5, d = -0.33) & social (M: 3.5 ± 1.3, F: 3.3 ± 1.3, d = -0.20) opportunity to change PA. Men reported having more favorable experiences exercising at the facility than women as determined by survey composite scores (M: 4.4 ± 0.3, F: 3.4 ± 1.2, d = -1.11, α = 0.86). CONCLUSION: Data demonstrated that men engaged in more PA than women despite facing more perceived barriers. Men also reported more positive experiences with the facility compared to women. These data provide tentative support for the need to enhance gym offerings that support PA for VM women. Regenstrief Institute Health Equity Research Pilot Grant. RAA supported by the IU President's Diversity Doctoral Fellowship.