title: An investigation of habitual and incidental physical activity among Costa Rican and Costa Rican American teenage girls.
abstract: A comparative survey design was used to examine habitual and incidental physical activity among native Costa Rican (CR) and Costa Rican American (CRA) adolescent girls. The purposive sample included 17 girls (ages 12-19 years) living in Limon, Costa Rica (n = 11), and the metropolitan New York/New Jersey area (n = 6). Participants in the CR group had significantly higher levels of habitual (p = .04), incidental (p = .02), and combined (p = .03) physical activity as compared with those on the CRA group. Dance was a preferred form of activity for both groups. The relationship between habitual and incidental physical activity was not significant, underscoring the need to address both variables in assessment of total physical activity. The findings suggest a need to prioritize the promotion of physical activity among immigrant teenage girls using culturally valued methods.
authors.affiliation: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, NJ, USA.
authors.forename: Karen T
authors.initials: KT
authors.lastname: D'Alonzo
authors.forename: Lauren B
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Cortese
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003364:Costa Rica / Q000208:ethnology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D003615:Dancing / Q000523:psychology; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006184:Habits; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000208:ethnology*; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D009515:New Jersey; D009518:New York; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D010865:Pilot Projects; D000297:Psychology, Adolescent; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013690:Television; D013997:Time Factors