Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Obesity: A Statistical Inquiry into Latina/o Youth

Document Type

Article

Article Version

Publisher's PDF

Publication Date

4-1-2017

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Overweight and obesity have been identified by the World Health Organization as a global epidemic and disproportionately affects minority populations in the United States. This study explored cross-sectional associations with TV viewing, physical activity, video game playing, gender, and Latina/o ethnicity with Body Mass Index (BMI). Methods: Data from the 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) were utilized (N=15,503). Results: Time spent in physical activity, watching television, playing video games, male gender, and Latina/o ethnicity status were all significantly associated with increased risk of overweight and obesity, but age was not. There was also a significant interaction effect in which above-median levels of physical activity had a stronger relationship with lower overweight/obesity rates among non-Latinos compared to Latinos. Conclusion: Our findings support previous findings regarding well-known correlates of overweight and obesity. The significant interaction effects suggest that the relationships of these correlates are nuanced, and future interventions may be more effective if demographic-specific relationships between correlates and obesity related outcomes are considered.

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© 2017 Californian Journal of Health Promotion. All rights reserved.

A link to freely available content has been provided.

Publication Title

California Journal of Health Promotion

Published Citation

Marttinen, Risto, Laura Vernikoff, Sharon Phillips, and Nicole Fletcher. 2017. “Physical Activity, Screen Time, and Obesity: A Statistical Inquiry into Latina/o Youth.” California Journal of Health Promotion 15 (1): 27–35. https://doi.org/10.32398/cjhp.v15i1.1886.

DOI

10.32398/cjhp.v15i1.1886

Peer Reviewed

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