Utilizing an Intersectional Approach to Examine Experiences of Hunger Among Adolescents During COVID-19: Considering Race/Ethnicity, Sexual Identity, and Employment Disparities in a Nationally Representative Sample.

PURPOSE: This study examines correlates of experiences of hunger among adolescents in the United States (U.S) by the intersectionality of race/ethnicity with sociodemographic characteristics (gender, sexual identity, and adolescent/parent job loss) with the aim of identifying subgroups most at risk for hunger during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: This cross-sectional study uses nationally representative data from the Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey (ABES) collected from January to June 2021. The analytic sample was high school students aged 14-17 with complete data (n = 6023). Descriptive statistics, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression models were used to examine associations between sociodemographic factors and hunger (1-item measure) among adolescents during the pandemic for the analytic sample and stratified by race/ethnicity. RESULTS: The prevalence of hunger was 24.1% for the analytic sample and was highest among American Indian/Alaskan Native/Other Pacific Islander youth (37.2%), followed by non-Hispanic Black (31.8%) and Hispanic (28.4%) youth, and lowest among Non-Hispanic White youth (18.6%). In the analytic sample, there were significant differences in experiences of hunger by race/ethnicity, sexual identity, and adolescent/parent job loss during the pandemic (p < 0.05). When stratified by race/ethnicity, there were differential associations of hunger with sexual identity, and adolescent/parent job loss. CONCLUSIONS: These findings provide evidence of differential experiences of hunger during the pandemic among adolescents by sociodemographic factors. Results highlight the need for taking an intersectional approach when examining issues such as hunger. Future policies and programs should be mindful of factors associated with hunger and should prioritize using an equity-informed approach when engaging with multiply-marginalized adolescents.

Identifying Factors That Influence Physical Activity and Healthy Aging Among Older Latino Adults.

BACKGROUND: For older Latinos, some benefits of leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) include enhanced cognitive functioning, decreased loneliness, and reduced premature mortality. Despite LTPA benefits, adults ≥50 years are one of the most inactive age groups in the United States. METHODS: This qualitative study aimed to add to the limited evidence of LTPA in older Latino adults by exploring the barriers and facilitators for fitness class uptake and park use. Guided by a Social-Ecological Model of Health and Social Determinants of Health theoretical and a phenomenological research design, qualitative research data were collected via 27 personal interviews with Latino adults using a semistructured interview guide. Participants were recruited using purposive sampling strategies in collaboration with community partners. Bicultural data collectors conducted the semistructured interviews over Zoom. Thematic analysis was performed using Dedoose, following an inductive and deductive approach. RESULTS: The main barriers to fitness class attendance and park use were family and/or work commitments, perceived safety, and perceived discrimination. Conversely, the critical facilitators for participation were socialization into a group, social connectedness with group members, fitness instructor characteristics, and exercise history. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study hold important implications for the design of fitness programming and park-based recreation, including the need to increase the cultural diversity of recreation staff and culturally relevant programming. Future research is needed on time poverty related to family/work commitments and whether discriminatory practices at fitness centers, like ageism and race/ethnicity, influence physical activity behavior.

Examining associations between physical activity context and children meeting daily physical activity guidelines: the role of outdoor play, sports, and other organized activities.

Background: Less than one-quarter of US children meet physical activity (PA) guidelines. Understanding the context in which PA occurs and how these contexts may play a role in meeting PA guidelines is an essential step toward developing effective behavioral interventions. The purpose of this study was to examine associations between PA context (sports participation, participation in other organized physical activities, active travel to school, and outdoor play) and the number of days children met PA guidelines in a representative sample of children living in Texas. Methods: We analyzed cross-sectional data from a statewide sample of fourth-grade children in Texas who completed the 2019-2020 Texas School Physical Activity and Nutrition (Texas SPAN) survey. The Texas SPAN survey was designed to monitor the statewide prevalence of overweight/obesity among school children and assess habitual self-reported obesity-related behaviors, including diet and PA. Weighted Poisson regression models were employed to examine the associations between PA contexts (sports participation, participation in other organized physical activities, active travel to school, and outdoor play) and the number of days children met PA guidelines, adjusting for sex, race/ethnicity, overweight/obesity, urban-rural status, and economic disadvantage. Results: A total of 16.7% of fourth-grade children met physical activity guidelines every day during the week (mean age = 9.4 ± 0.6 years; female = 48.7, 51.8% Hispanic, mean days meeting PA guideline = 3.6 ± 2.3 days). One in ten (11.2%) children did not meet daily PA guidelines on any day of the week, and 72.1% met them between 1 and 6 days. Participating in sports (b = 0.22, 95%CI:0.14, 0.30), any other organized physical activities (b=0.13, 95%CI:0.017, 0.19), and playing outdoors 1-3 days (b = 0.25, 95%CI:0.04, 0.46) and 4-7 days in the past week (b = 0.77, 95%CI:0.57, 0.97) was significantly and positively associated with the number of days children met PA guidelines. Conclusion: Participating in sports, participating in other organized physical activities, and playing outdoors may beneficially influence the number of days children meet PA guidelines. PA programs should consider these contextual factors and investigate how to promote organized activities and outdoor play effectively and appropriately among children.