Abstract B058: Physical activity and nutrition: Barriers and facilitators in communities experiencing long-term poverty

Abstract Obesity is a public health crisis in the United States, and its impact varies geographically and across socio-demographic groups. Engaging in physical activity (PA) and maintaining a healthy diet can significantly reduce health risks associated with obesity, such as cancer, cardiovascular disorders, and diabetes. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity exercise each week, or an equivalent combination of both. Additionally, the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) recommends consuming 3.5 to 5 cups of fruits and vegetables daily while limiting fast food intake. Despite benefits, participation in physical activity and healthy eating is disproportionately low in historically low-income areas, often due to a lack of basic necessities such as public services, quality food, education, and neighborhood safety. This study aimed to examine the behavioral and community characteristics, including the barriers and facilitators, that influence physical activity and a healthy diet among residents of the Acres Homes community, an historically under resourced community in Texas. The survey development and participant recruitment involved community members, who advised and tested the survey and also helped recruiting participants. The cross-sectional community-based survey included 536 adult residents of Acres Homes, a historically low-income community in Houston, Texas. The sample included 67% non-Hispanic African Americans, 22% Hispanic, 80% females, and 65% individuals reporting annual household income below $50,000. The findings revealed that 46% of participants adhered to PA guidelines, about 50% followed the AICR recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption, and 53% of respondents were classified as obese (BMI>=30). Stratified analysis showed that a lower proportion of women (43%) were adherent to PA guidelines than men (57%) (p=0.042). Furthermore, a higher percentage of individuals aged 45 years and under (42%, p<0.001) and those who were obese (29%, p=0.02) reported consuming fast food three or more times a week. In terms of role of community factors on physical activity, 70% of respondents mentioned that high crime rates made it unsafe to walk in their neighborhoods, while 71% cited heavy traffic as a barrier to walking or biking. Additionally, 37% of participants identified a lack of restaurants offering healthy food, and 36% pointed to a shortage of affordable stores selling fruits and vegetables as challenges to healthy eating. These findings emphasize the need for targeted interventions to increase physical activity among women and reduce fast food consumption among younger individuals. Community-level initiatives should focus on improving access to healthy food and enhancing neighborhood safety, especially traffic hazards and crime. Overall, the study highlighted the role of the relationship between medical-community-academic triad in a successful community based participatory research. Citation Format: Monalisa Chandra, Sanjay Shete, Lorna Haughton. McNeill, Karen Basen-Engquist, Andrew Springer, Lauren Kriss, Shreela Sharma, Stephanie Nutt, Ruth Rechis, Ru-Jye Chuang. Physical activity and nutrition: Barriers and facilitators in communities experiencing long-term poverty [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 18th AACR Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities; 2025 Sep 18-21; Baltimore, MD. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2025;34(9 Suppl):Abstract nr B058.