title: Barriers to physical activity among women in the rural midwest.
abstract: Physical activity is an important factor in chronic disease control and prevention. Yet women and rural residents consistently report lower rates of physical activity than their male and urban/suburban counterparts. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between personal, social, and environmental barriers and meeting moderate physical activity recommendations in a sample of rural women. Data were obtained from a telephone survey of 2,510 residents of rural southeastern Missouri, Tennessee, and Arkansas. After adjusting for age and income, women who identified personal barriers, such as lack of time, no motivation, disinterest in exercise, and having no one to exercise with were less likely to meet physical activity recommendations. There was evidence of a dose-response relationship between the number of barriers identified and meeting moderate physical activity recommendations among women with higher incomes and women with lower incomes; however, this relationship was most striking among women with annual household incomes of 25,000 US Dollar or more. These findings may be used to tailor physical activity interventions to women in rural communities.
authors.affiliation: Department of Community Health and Prevention Research Center, Saint Louis University School of Public Health, St Louis, MO 63104, USA.
authors.forename: Thearis
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Osuji
authors.forename: Sarah L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Lovegreen
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.forename: Ross C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Brownson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001131:Arkansas / Q000453:epidemiology; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D008923:Missouri / Q000453:epidemiology; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013714:Tennessee / Q000453:epidemiology; D016387:Women's Health