Social Determinants of Physical Activity Among Adult Asian-Americans: Results from a Population-Based Survey in California

The objective of this study was to evaluate the key social determinants of physical activity among six Asian-American subgroups using public access 2007 California Health Interview Survey data. Physical activity was defined as meeting the American College of Sports Medicine recommendation of 450 metabolic equivalent-minutes per week. Factors positively associated with meeting physical activity recommendations included being bilingual among Chinese and Vietnamese, and increasing age for Chinese only. On the other hand, being middle aged, currently married, and low neighborhood safety were significantly associated with lower odds of meeting physical activity recommendations, as were being female for Japanese and Koreans, and living above the poverty level for Vietnamese. Such results highlight the heterogeneity among Asian-Americans and need for health messages targeted at specific subgroups. Additionally, the role of built environment, particularly in areas with high Filipino residents, should be a public health priority for increasing physical activity outcomes.