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Physical Activity Participation by Parental Language Use in 4th, 8th, and 11th Grade Students in Texas, USA

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Abstract

Research on physical activity (PA) by level of acculturation in Hispanic children is limited and findings have been mixed. We examined PA participation by primary language used with parents in a representative sample of 4th, 8th, and 11th grade Texas public school students. Mixed-effects regression models were conducted using cross-sectional data from the 2004–2005 School Physical Activity and Nutrition Study (n = 22,049). Self-reported PA was compared among three language-ethnic groups: Spanish-Hispanic (SH) (referent); English-Hispanic (EH); and English-Other (EO). EH and/or EO girls were generally between 1.25 and 2.58 [OR] times more likely to participate in PA across grade levels, with the largest differences found for school sports in 8th grade girls. EH and EO 8th grade boys were 1.71 (CI: 1.40, 2.10) and 2.06 (CI: 1.68, 2.51) times, respectively, more likely to participate in school sports. Findings indicate important disparities in Spanish-speaking Hispanic children’s PA participation.

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Notes

  1. At or above the 95th percentile of the 2000 sex-specific Centers for Disease Control and Prevention BMI-for-age growth charts.

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Acknowledgements

The authors express their sincere gratitude to Elie Camp, Graduate Assistant, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health-Austin, for her help with the preparation and constructive review of the manuscript. We would also like to acknowledge the insightful comments and review of drafts of this manuscript from the collaborative papers group of the Texas Department of State Health Services Office of Title V and Family Health and Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living. Preparation of this manuscript was made possible in part by funding of Dr. Springer’s training under the Junior Faculty Fellowship Training Program of NCI Grant Number U01 CA114657-01 to Redes En Accion: The National Latino Cancer Research Network based at the Institute of Health Promotion Research, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio as well as by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation. The original study upon which this manuscript is based was made possible by a grant from the Texas Department of State Health Services with funds from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Health and Human Services Block Grant.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health, Austin Regional Campus, 313 East 12th Street, Suite #220, Austin, TX, 78701, USA

    Andrew E. Springer, Steven H. Kelder & Deanna M. Hoelscher

  2. Texas Department of State Health Services, Office of Program Decision Support, Austin, TX, USA

    Kayan Lewis

  3. Center for Health Promotion and Prevention Research, University of Texas School of Public Health, Houston, TX, USA

    Maria E. Fernandez

  4. Hispanic Health Research Center, Michael & Susan Dell Center for Advancement of Healthy Living, University of Texas School of Public Health, Brownsville Regional Campus, Brownsville, USA

    Cristina S. Barroso

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  1. Andrew E. Springer
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Springer, A.E., Lewis, K., Kelder, S.H. et al. Physical Activity Participation by Parental Language Use in 4th, 8th, and 11th Grade Students in Texas, USA. J Immigrant Minority Health 12, 769–780 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-009-9249-4

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