title: Urban fitness centers: removing barriers to promote exercise in underserved communities.
abstract: African Americans, women, the elderly, obese people, and those in underserved communities are less likely than others to participate in leisure-time physical activity. Mercy Catholic Medical Center opened two fitness centers in low-income, predominately minority Philadelphia neighborhoods. Obese/overweight women from ethnic minorities living in low-income neighborhoods participated most frequently.
authors.affiliation: Mercy Health System of Southeastern Pennsylvania, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Choitz
authors.forename: Michael P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Zekarias
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Berhane
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lefever
authors.forename: Jennifer K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: Arnold R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Eiser
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D020446:Fitness Centers / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008507:Medically Underserved Area; D008875:Middle Aged; D008913:Minority Groups; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D015143:Philadelphia; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D019037:Urban Health Services / Q000191:economics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*