Acculturation and Physical Activity of U.S. Men: Evidence from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2003-2006

Hua Zan, University of Hawaii at Manoa
Jessie X. Fan, University of Utah

We examine the association between acculturation and physical activity (PA) of male adults in the U.S. using a nationally representative sample of 2,430 men 20-74 years old from the 2003-2006 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys. Unlike past studies relying on self-reported PA, we include and compare both subjectively measured PA (self-reported leisure PA, household PA, transportation PA, and total PA) and objectively measured PA (four measures based on different intensity thresholds and duration). We construct acculturation measures based on language use at home, nativity, and length of residence in the U.S. We find negative relationships between acculturation and objective PA measures and positive relationships between acculturation and subjective PA measures. The PA-acculturation relationships are moderated by race/ethnicity.