A national internet survey on midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity.
BACKGROUND
Despite an increasing number of studies of midlife women's physical activity, little is known about how attitudes toward physical activity of midlife women from diverse ethnic groups influence the women's physical activity.


OBJECTIVE
To explore ethnic differences in midlife women's attitudes toward physical activity and determine the relationships between the attitudes and their actual participation in physical activity while considering other influencing factors.


METHODS
The Midlife Women's Attitudes Toward Physical Activity model was used to guide the study. This was a cross-sectional Internet survey study of 542 midlife women. The instruments included questions on background characteristics and health and menopausal status; the Physical Activity Assessment Inventory; a modified Barriers to Health Activities Scale; the Questions on Attitudes Toward Physical Activity, Subjective Norm, Perceived Behavioral Control, and Behavioral Intention; and the Kaiser Physical Activity Survey. The data were analyzed using ANOVA, correlation, hierarchical multiple regression, and path analyses.


RESULTS
There were significant ethnic differences in the attitude scores (F = 2.58, p < .05), but no ethnic differences in the physical activity scores. Interestingly, there were significant ethnic differences in the occupational physical activity scores (F = 5.68, p < .01). Attitude scores accounted for 5% of total variances of the physical activity scores (F(ch) = 43.52, p < .01). The direct paths from the attitude scores (p < .01), the self-efficacy scores (p < .01), and the barrier scores (p < .05) to the physical activity scores were statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
Ethnic differences in the women's attitudes toward physical activity need to be considered in promoting physical activity of midlife women.
School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, 19104, USA. eunim@nursing.upenn.edu
Eun-Ok
EO
Im
Sun Ju
SJ
Chang
Young
Y
Ko
Wonshik
W
Chee
Alexa
A
Stuifbergen
Lorraine
L
Walker
D001741:Black or African American / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001213:Asian / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001294:Attitude to Health / Q000208:ethnology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005006:Ethnicity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior / Q000208:ethnology*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008875:Middle Aged; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data