Regular Physical Activity Has Differential Association with Reduced Obesity Among Diverse Youth in the United States
Published in: Journal of Health Psychology, 2014
Posted on RAND.org on December 09, 2014
This study examined whether daily or almost daily lower-intensity physical activity was associated with reduced obesity, among 4,824 African American, Hispanic, and White youth assessed in 5th and 7th grades. Regular lower-intensity physical activity was associated with reduced obesity only among Hispanic and White males and only in 7th grade, and not among youth in 5th grade, females, or African American males or females. Findings from this study suggest that the reduced obesity risk generally attributed to physical activity may not be consistent across racial/ethnic and gender groups of early adolescents.
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