Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Doctor of Public Health (DrPH)

School

Public Health

Advisor

David Anderson

Abstract

Obesity is one of the most costly chronic, but preventable, diseases that has increased in prevalence in the United States. Obesity is known to be related to a lack of physical activity and the conditions in which people are born and live. Although adult Latino men and women have the second highest obesity rate in the United States, researchers have not explored place of residence as a factor in understanding Latinos’ health status. Therefore, the purpose of this correlational quantitative study was to determine if there is a relationship between obesity and Latinos’ place of residence and physical activity, and whether differences exist when controlling for age, sex, and socioeconomic status (income level, education level, and employment status). The study was grounded in the social-ecological model. Using data from the 2018 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, logistic regression, and chi-square analyses were conducted. Concerning the variables of age, education level, and employment status, findings indicated statistically significant differences between obesity, physical activity, and place of residence among Latinos. The variables of sex and income were not significantly different when examining obesity and place of residence among Latinos. The results of this study can have a potentially positive social change impact by informing health policy makers in reducing obesity rates and increasing the quality of life among Latinos by investing and allocating resources tailored to provide them with better opportunities in relation to factors that are associated with obesity.

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