Home environments, physical activity, and energy expenditure among low-income overweight and obese women.

Ecologic models of physical activity identify multiple environmental domains that influence activity levels, including the home. This study examined aspects of the home environment associated with objective measures of physical activity in overweight and obese women. Study participants were recruited through three federally qualified health centers in rural southwest Georgia as part of a randomized controlled trial of a home-environment-focused weight gain prevention intervention. Data collected from February 2011 to December 2012 were from 301 participants who completed baseline interviews and wore accelerometers for 7 days. Most were African American (83.4%) and obese (50.5%) or morbidly obese with body mass index ≥40 (35.6%). Mean age was 50.6 years. Participants were highly sedentary, with 7.9 hours of non-sedentary time per week, primarily in light activity. In a multivariate model, exercise equipment (p = .03), family support (p = .02), and full-time employment (p = .03) were positively associated with non-sedentary time, whereas age (p = .003), living in a more rural area (p = .03), and having an exercise space (p = .01) were negatively associated. Home environments may be promising targets for programs aimed at increasing activity levels among overweight and obese women.

Rural Neighborhood Walkability: Implications for Assessment.

BACKGROUND: Physical activity levels, including walking, are lower in the southern U.S., particularly in rural areas. This study investigated the concept of rural neighborhood walkability to aid in developing tools for assessing walkability and to identify intervention targets in rural communities. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with physically active adults (n = 29) in rural Georgia. Mean age of participants was 55.9 years; 66% were male, 76% were white, and 24% were African American. Participants drew maps of their neighborhoods and discussed the relevance of typical domains of walkability to their decisions to exercise. Comparative analyses were conducted to identify major themes. RESULTS: The majority felt the concept of neighborhood was applicable and viewed their neighborhood as small geographically (less than 0.5 square miles). Sidewalks were not viewed as essential for neighborhood-based physical activity and typical destinations for walking were largely absent. Destinations within walking distance included neighbors' homes and bodies of water. Views were mixed on whether shade, safety, dogs, and aesthetics affected decisions to exercise in their neighborhoods. CONCLUSIONS: Measures of neighborhood walkability in rural areas should acknowledge the small size of self-defined neighborhoods, that walking in rural areas is likely for leisure time exercise, and that some domains may not be relevant.