Predicting physical activity among low-income Mexican American women: application of the theory of planned behavior.

Objectives: To utilize the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in explaining the prediction of physical activity intention and determine if present activity behavior attenuates theory construct relationships in a sample of low-income Mexican women.

Methods: Data were gathered on 201 subjects through a self-report survey instrument and analyzed through structural equation modeling.

Results: Present activity behavior attenuated theory construct influence on intention, and perceived behavioral control was the strongest predictor of intent to engage in physical activity.

Determinants of coping responses among Mexican American adolescents.

This study examined relationships among perceived stress, self-esteem, acculturation, and gender with the coping response of 472 Mexican American adolescents aged 14 to 16 years. Subjects were drawn from a predominantly Mexican American population located in the Lower Rio Grande Valley region of Texas. Data were collected through a self-report instrument consisting of perceived stress, acculturative status, self-esteem, and coping strategy scales.