PHYSICAL-ACTIVITY INTERVENTIONS IN LOW-INCOME, ETHNIC-MINORITY, AND POPULATIONS WITH DISABILITY

Background: Low-income, racial and ethnic minority, and populations wi th disabilities are more likely to be sedentary than the general popul ation. Increasing physical activity in these groups is an important pu blic health challenge. This report summarizes interventions that have targeted populations at risk for inactivity. Methods: Computer and man ual searches were performed to identify manuscripts published from 198 3 to 1997. Interventions conducted in these populations in which physi cal activity was part of the intervention, and activity or cardiorespi ratory fitness were outcome measures, were included in the review. Res ults: Fourteen studies were identified. Most studies used pre-post or quasi-experimental designs. Common intervention features for the ten s tudies that included ethnic minority groups were community advisory pa nels, community needs assessments, and community members delivering th e intervention. Eight studies reported a theoretical framework that gu ided the intervention, Increased physical activity was documented in t wo studies. Post-intervention follow-up was conducted in two studies; both reported no significant findings. Only four studies for people wi th disabilities were found; all four reported post-intervention physic al activity change. Conclusion: Much work remains to develop effective interventions for these populations. Research that involves the commu nity at all steps in the design and implementation of the intervention shows greatest promise for promoting behavior change. Future interven tion studies should include: (1) rigorous experimental designs; (2) th eoretically based interventions; and (3) validated assessment instrume nts to detect physical activity change.