Correlates of physical activity among African American and white women.

Objective: To compare potential correlates of physical activity between African American and white women.

Methods: A random-digit-dialed telephone survey was conducted in central South Carolina. Bivariate and multivariate analyses focused on women aged 18+ (N = 1176).

Results: African American women reported greater maintenance of sidewalks and public parks than did white women, who reported higher physical activity, exercise self-efficacy, access to indoor walking facilities, and knowledge of mapped-out walking routes. Exercise self-efficacy was the only significant correlate of physical activity among both African American and white women.

Conclusions: Self-efficacy was a robust cross-sectional correlate of physical activity in women.