title: Social context of physical activity and weight status in working-class populations.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Persistent disparities suggest that multiple aspects of social context may influence leisure-time physical activity levels and weight status in multiethnic, working-class populations.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among participants in two randomized, controlled intervention trials (n = 1,969 in 10 health centers; n = 1545 in 26 manufacturing businesses) we used general linear mixed models to examine the relationship of variables posited by a social-contextual framework for behavior change with h/wk of self-reported leisure-time physical activity and with body mass index (BMI; weight [kg]/[height (m)2]) at baseline, adjusting for clustering within study site.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Age, sex, race/ethnicity, and socioeconomic position were independently associated with leisure-time physical activity in both settings; multivariable models explained 15% of the variance in health centers and 11% in small businesses. Leisure-time physical activity and motivation to change lifestyle behaviors were inversely associated with BMI, adjusting for individual, interpersonal, and neighborhood factors. Models explained 12% of the variance in BMI in health centers and 10% in small businesses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A social-contextual framework highlights the contribution of social class and race/ethnicity in the variance in leisure-time physical activity and weight status but suggests other behavioral influences vary in multiethnic, working-class populations.
authors.affiliation: Harvard School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Ave., Building 2-331, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Karen E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.forename: Tamara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dubowitz
authors.forename: Anne M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Stoddard
authors.forename: Philip J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Troped
authors.forename: Glorian
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sorensen
authors.forename: Karen M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Emmons
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000886:Anthropometry; D001294:Attitude to Health; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D003469:Culture; D003710:Demography; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D007899:Leisure Activities; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009043:Motor Activity; D011203:Poverty; D012923:Social Class; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors