LEISURE-TIME PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY - ARE THERE BLACK-WHITE DIFFERENCES

Background. Behavioral risk factor surveillance survey data collected during 1984 and 1985 in South Carolina were analyzed. Methods. This article is based on telephone interviews conducted with 2,005 individuals (431 black, 1574 white), mean age, 45.1 years, selected by random-digit dialing. Information on the type, frequency, and duration of leisure time physical activity was used to estimate leisure time energy expenditure (kcal/week) averaged over the previous month. The median level of leisure time energy expenditure differed significantly (all P < 0.001) by gender (men = 741, women = 421), age (six categories; youngest, 18-29 years = 780; oldest, 70+ = 301), annual household income (four categories; lowest, ≤$10,000 = 300; highest, >$35,000 = 870), body mass index (kg/m2, ≤24.1 = 601, ≥30.1 = 180), and race (black = 301, white = 601). Results. Leisure time energy expenditure generally decreased with increasing age and body mass index and increased with increasing levels of education and income among all race/gender groups. Logistic regression analyses revealed that after adjustment for gender (if applicable), age, income, and body mass index, the variable race made a statistically significant contribution to the model, in the total sample (P < .03) and for women P < .001), but not for men. Conclusions. Our results suggest that blacks living in the South, particularly black women, have lower levels of leisure time physical activity compared with their white counterparts after control for several important confounders. © 1992.