Research Portal

July 1, 2022

Utilitarian and Recreational Walking Among Spanish- and English-Speaking Latino Adults in Micropolitan US Towns

Doescher, Mark P.; Lee, Chanam; Saelens, Brian E.; Lee, Chunkuen; Berke, Ethan M.; Adachi-mejia, Anna M.; Patterson, Davis G.; Moudon, Anne Vernez. (2017). Utilitarian and Recreational Walking Among Spanish- and English-Speaking Latino Adults in Micropolitan US Towns. Journal Of Immigrant & Minority Health, 19(2), 237 – 245.

View Publication

Abstract

Walking among Latinos in US Micropolitan towns may vary by language spoken. In 2011-2012, we collected telephone survey and built environment (BE) data from adults in six towns located within micropolitan counties from two states with sizable Latino populations. We performed mixed-effects logistic regression modeling to examine relationships between ethnicity-language group [Spanish-speaking Latinos (SSLs); English-speaking Latinos (ESLs); and English-speaking non-Latinos (ENLs)] and utilitarian walking and recreational walking, accounting for socio-demographic, lifestyle and BE characteristics. Low-income SSLs reported higher amounts of utilitarian walking than ENLs (p = 0.007), but utilitarian walking in this group decreased as income increased. SSLs reported lower amounts of recreational walking than ENLs (p = 0.004). ESL-ENL differences were not significant. We identified no statistically significant interactions between ethnicity-language group and BE characteristics. Approaches to increase walking in micropolitan towns with sizable SSL populations may need to account for this group's differences in walking behaviors.

Keywords

Walking; Confidence Intervals; Ecology; Ethnic Groups; Hispanic Americans; Income; Language & Languages; Metropolitan Areas; Population; Public Health; Recreation; Rural Conditions; White People; Logistic Regression Analysis; Socioeconomic Factors; Social Context; Body Mass Index; Acquisition Of Data; Physical Activity; Data Analysis Software; Odds Ratio; United States; Environment Design; Ethnicity; Rural Populations; Physical-activity; Built Environment; United-states; Postmenopausal Women; Acculturation; Risk; Transportation; Mortality; Health; Associations; Studies; Demographic Aspects; Telephone Surveys; Minority & Ethnic Groups; Physical Fitness; Low Income Groups; Urban Environments; Demographics; Language; Accounting; Statistical Analysis; Urban Areas; Towns; Populations; Adults; Lifestyles; Latin American Cultural Groups; Sociodemographics; Landscape Architecture; Population Growth; Pediatrics; Leisure; Health Care; Noncitizens; Preventive Medicine; United States--us