In their own voices: definitions and interpretations of physical activity.
Terms such as physical activity, exercise, and leisure are perceived and interpreted differently by people differing in gender, class, and sociocultural factors. We accessed multiple diverse data sources (including qualitative data recently collected in research and evaluation studies) to explore African-American and American Indian women's (age 40+) definitions, meanings, and interpretations of "physical activity". These women reported that physical activity is typically considered to be structured "exercise" and not incidental activities of daily life. The term "leisure" was interpreted from a cultural perspective as being lazy. These women also had difficulty understanding the meaning of "intensity" (e.g., "moderate", "vigorous"). Researchers must acknowledge and understand inconsistencies that arise and how these might influence design of, and responses to, self-report assessment of physical activity.
Department of Exercise and Wellness, Arizona State University, Mesa, Arizona 85212, USA. Tudor-Locke@asu.edu
Catrine
C
Tudor-Locke
Karla A
KA
Henderson
Sara
S
Wilcox
Rhonda S
RS
Cooper
J Larry
JL
Durstine
Barbara E
BE
Ainsworth
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001294:Attitude to Health; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007198:Indians, North American / Q000523:psychology*; D007899:Leisure Activities / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires / Q000592:standards; D014481:United States; D016387:Women's Health