Greater Leisure Time Physical Activity Is Associated with Lower Allostatic Load in White, Black, and Mexican American Midlife Women: Findings from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 through 2004.
BACKGROUND
Allostatic load is a useful construct to understand how social and environmental conditions get under the skin to affect health. To date, few studies have examined health-enhancing lifestyle behaviors and their potential benefits in reducing allostatic load. The purpose of this study was to investigate the contributions of leisure time physical activity on level of allostatic load among White, Black, and Mexican American midlife women.


METHODS
Data were from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999 through 2004 (n = 1,680, women ages 40-59). All analyses were weighted. Negative binomial regression was used to model a summative count measure of allostatic load (M = 2.30). Models were also computed to estimate adjusted predicted allostatic load for given levels of physical activity, and by race/ethnicity for each age category (40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59), controlling for other demographics and medication use.


RESULTS
Higher levels of physical activity were associated significantly with lower levels of allostatic load, independent of demographics. Compared with White women ages 40 to 44, all other racial/ethnic-by-age groups had significantly higher allostatic load. Higher socioeconomic status was associated with a lower allostatic load. Adjusted prediction models demonstrated associations between greater levels of physical activity and lower allostatic load for all ages and racial/ethnic groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest physical activity may ameliorate some of the effects of cumulative physiological dysregulation and subsequent disease burden in midlife women. Programs and policies that encourage and promote healthy aging and provide opportunities for a diversity of women to engage in health-enhancing lifestyle practices such as physical activity are recommended.
Department of Community Health Sciences, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health, Los Angeles, California. Electronic address: upchurch@ucla.edu.
Dawn M
DM
Upchurch
Department of Health Sciences, California State University, Northridge, Northridge, California.
Bethany Wexler
BW
Rainisch
Public Health Science Program, Santa Clara University, Santa Clara, California.
Laura
L
Chyu
D000328:Adult; D001741:Black or African American; D052636:Allostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D044383:Black People; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D054624:Health Status Disparities; D006801:Humans; D007899:Leisure Activities; D017058:Mexican Americans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012923:Social Class; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000208:ethnology; D044465:White People