College
College of Health Sciences
Department
Community & Environmental Health
Graduate Level
Master’s
Graduate Program/Concentration
Public Health: Health Behavior and Health Promotion
Publication Date
2022
DOI
10.25883/c2td-1k55
Abstract
Physical Inactivity, Obesity, and the Latino Adult Population: A Literature Review
Abstract
Purpose: The Latino population within the United States show low levels of physical activity and have a high prevalence of obesity. The purpose of this literature review is to analyze the interaction between three different levels of the social ecological model and their impact on physical inactivity behaviors.
Methods: The databases CINAHL Plus, PubMed, and PsycINFO were searched with Latino adults as the target population. The inclusion criteria were studies focusing on Latino adults over the age of 18 that live in the United States that discuss the impact of either the individual, interpersonal, or community level of the social ecological model on physical activity behaviors.
Results: The various studies reveal that there are multiple levels that influence physical activity behaviors of Latino adults that must be incorporated into program design. Programs for the individual level target attitudes, skills, and knowledge levels to motivate adults to change PA behaviors. The interpersonal level relies on friends and family to influence individuals to become more physically active. Community level programs are used to modify the environment that surrounds an individual to increase access and make it easier to engage in exercise.
Discussion: The individual, interpersonal, and community levels of the social ecological model have a direct impact on physical activity behaviors and obesity rates in the Latino population. It is recommended that future physical activity programs are designed by incorporating components from these three levels to lead to more effective interventions.
Keywords
Latino/Hispanic Adults, Physical Inactivity, Obesity, Social Ecological Model
Disciplines
Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Public Health Education and Promotion
Files
Download Poster (337 KB)
Recommended Citation
Gunzelman, Steven, "Physical Inactivity, Obesity, and the Latino Adult Population: A Literature Review" (2022). College of Health Sciences Posters. 12.
https://digitalcommons.odu.edu/gradposters2022_healthsciences/12
Included in
Community Health and Preventive Medicine Commons, Public Health Education and Promotion Commons