title: The role of pain in understanding racial/ethnic differences in the frequency of physical activity among older adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate racial/ethnic differences in physical activity among white, black, and Hispanic adults aged 65 years and older, and to assess the potential role of pain as a mediator.
  
  
  METHODS
  Analyses were based on data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Study. Logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between race/ethnicity and pain and the odds of regular physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to Whites, the odds of both light physical activity and moderate/vigorous physical activity were lower among Blacks, but not Hispanics. A graded inverse association between levels of pain severity and the odds of physical activity was found, but pain did not mediate racial/ethnic differences in physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  When compared to Whites, older Blacks appear to have relatively low rates of physical activity even without comparatively high levels of pain, while older Hispanics experience relatively high rates of pain, but are perhaps more resilient to the effects of pain on physical activity.
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University at Albany, SUNY, Rensselaer, NY 12144, USA. egrubert@albany.edu
authors.forename: Elizabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Grubert
authors.forename: Tamara A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Baker
authors.forename: Kelly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McGeever
authors.forename: Benjamin A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Shaw
mesh_terms: D001741:Black or African American / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D010146:Pain / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014481:United States; D044465:White People / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*