Associated pathways between neighborhood environment, community resource factors, and leisure-time physical activity among Mexican-American adults in San Diego, California.

Purpose: To examine pathways between individual, social, and environmental factors associated with leisure-time physical activity (LTPA) among Mexican-American adults.

Design: Cross-sectional design using random-digit dialing to administer a structured telephone interview.

Setting: Mexican-American adults living in a U.S.-Mexican border community in San Diego, California (N = 672).

Measures: Data were collected on LTPA, demographic characteristics, acculturation, and other psychosocial and environmental factors associated with LTPA.

Analysis: Structural equation modeling to test an a priori model of LTPA.

Results: Participants were mostly female (71%) with a mean age of 39 years (SD = 13). Only 32% of participants met PA guidelines in their leisure time, with men (39%) meeting the guidelines more than women (29%). Using structural equation modeling, neighborhood factors, both social and environmental, showed indirect relationships with meeting PA guidelines through community resource factors. Significant covariates included marital status and age.

Conclusion: Individual, social, and environmental factors were associated with LTPA in this sample of Mexican-American adults. These findings can inform intervention studies that aim to increase LTPA in this population.