Perceptions and Barriers to Physical Activity in Childhood and Adulthood Among Latinas

Abstract

Objective:

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify perceptions and barriers to physical activity in childhood and adulthood among Latina adults.

Methods:

Three focus groups, 2 dyadic interviews, and an individual interview were conducted using semi-structured interview guides with 23 Latina women aged 21–35. A thematic analysis approach employing inductive and deductive coding was utilized to code, categorize, and summarize data into themes.

Results:

The themes that emerged focused on: (1) physical activity is enjoyable; (2) family influenced physical activity; (3) different lifestyle in the US influenced physical activity; (4) physical activity is important for health; and (5) responsibilities (eg, work, caregiving) as barriers to physical activity in adulthood.

Conclusions:

Perceptions and barriers to physical activity experienced in both childhood and adulthood should be considered in the promotion of physical activity among Latinas.

Latinas engage in less leisure-time physical activity (LTPA)¹ compared with their non-non-Latina white counterparts.² Several factors that influence physical activity among Latinas have been identified in previous research. For example, time limitations, fatigue,³ decreased motivation,⁴ financial expenses, and children’s school activities⁵ have been reported as physical activity barriers among Latinas.^6,7 Further, family-related responsibilities and decreased social support have also been cited as perceived barriers to engaging in LTPA.⁷ For example, lack of childcare has been reported as a barrier to physical activity, with a larger proportion of Latinas reporting it as a barrier compared with Latino men.³ In contrast, social support and self-efficacy have been reported as facilitators of physical activity among Latinas.^7,8 Although several studies have identified factors that influence physical activity among Latinas in adulthood, limited research has explored perceptions and barriers to physical activity in both childhood and adulthood among Latina adults.

Physical activity tends to vary at different stages of life⁹ as do some of the factors that influence physical activity. For example, during childhood, participation in school-age sports,¹⁰ and increased and constant physical activity during the ages 9–18,¹¹ have been identified as predictors of physical activity in adulthood. However, less is known about the factors that influence physical activity among Latina adults based on childhood physical activity.¹² Recent research indicates that physical activity may differ by nativity. For example, in some Latin American countries transportation-related physical activity, defined as walking and bicycling for transportation,¹³ continues to be undertaken at high levels among children.¹⁴

Additionally, life events such as migrating to the United States have been shown to influence physical activity among Latinas. For example, those that are foreign-born or less acculturated are more likely to participate in higher levels of occupational physical activity, engage in lower levels of LTPA, and less likely to meet physical activity recommendations than their U.S.-born or more acculturated counterparts.^15,16 Obtaining a further understanding of the perceptions and factors that influence physical activity patterns among Latinas may shed light on the physical activity disparities observed in this population.

Despite previous research on factors influencing physical activity among Latinas, there remains a literature gap on the experiences of Latinas in both childhood and adulthood that may help to better understanding physical activity among this population. The purpose of our study was to explore and describe perceptions and barriers to physical activity experienced in childhood and adulthood from the perspective of Latinas.

METHODS

Sample

Between September and December of 2018, a purposive sample of Latina adults was recruited from a community center frequented by Latinos in Southeast Houston, Texas. This sample was a subsample from a larger pilot project focused on examining stress and health in Latino adults, during which a survey was administered and anthropometric measures (ie, height and weight) were assessed. Participants were individuals that self-identified as Hispanic or Latino, between the ages 21–35, and spoke and read either English or Spanish. All but one of our participants (23 out of 24) were women. The data provided by the single male participant was excluded in our data analysis and thematic development as it was aligned, rather than deviant, with that provided by the female participants, and did not contribute to any new themes. Exclusion of the lone male participant is justified as his data did not alter the findings of this study, affording us a deep investigation of the perceptions that Latinas contributed to this study.

Study Design

An exploratory qualitative research design^17,18 was selected as minimal prior research has been conducted on perceptions and barriers to physical activity in both childhood and adulthood among Latina adults. We considered the well-documented challenges to recruiting Latino participants into health-related research, which include distrust of the research process, fear of discrimination and how participation may affect receipt of healthcare services, and very real concerns regarding deportation given current federal and state policies and attitudes towards undocumented Latinos.^19,20 Given these social, legal and political contexts, we sought to minimize recruitment barriers by: 1) recruiting participants from a community center that was an established and trusted source of assistance to participants;²¹ 2) ensuring that project staff was culturally or ethnically, and linguistically, matched to participants;²² 3) utilizing an effective, clear and culturally/linguistically-matched informed consent process to establish trust with potential participants,²³ and 4) adopting varied data collection methods – focus groups, dyadic interviews, and one-on-one interview – adapting the research process to provide more flexibility in accommodating participants’ potential fears and concerns regarding research participation – ie, preferences regarding individual or smaller group interviews.²⁰ Dyadic interviews are interviews involving 2 participants that while sharing certain similarities with focus groups, are considered a type of interview.^24,25 Adopting such multiple methods of inquiry is a cornerstone of qualitative research, and allows for the integration of the strengths of different qualitative methods within one study and greater rigor,²⁶ as well as increasing versatility in meeting the contingencies of field research. Sampling continued until data saturation was reached after conducting 3 focus groups, 2 dyadic interviews and an individual interview. While 3 focus groups may generally be considered a small sample size, analysis conducted in previous research demonstrates the efficacy of focus group samples of 3 to identify the majority of prevalent themes within the data set.²⁷ The addition of dyadic and one-on-one interviews also contributed to data saturation by allowing us to investigate our research questions in greater depth and detail given the fewer number of participants. All participants in the study provided written informed consent in their language of preference. This study was approved by the University of Houston Institutional Review Board.

Data Collection

Three focus groups, each group ranging in size from 5 to 7 participants, 2 dyadic interviews with 2 participants, and an individual interview were conducted using semi-structured interview guides and stratified based on preferred language (English vs. Spanish). Two focus groups were conducted in Spanish, which included 7 and 6 participants, respectively; one was conducted in English with 5 participants. Two dyadic interviews were conducted; one in English and one in Spanish. Research has shown the effectiveness of dyadic interviews to provide valuable and valid information, particularly from underserved groups that can be difficult to recruit and are underrepresented in research.²⁴ Additionally, an individual interview was conducted with a participant that felt more comfortable in a one-on-one interview setting. Incorporating dyadic and one-on-one interviews, as an alternative to focus groups was a procedure implemented in order to reduce any barriers and increase participation of this underrepresented and hard to reach group. The use of varied data collection methods, ie, focus groups, dyadic interviews and an interview provided greater flexibility in data collection by increasing participation, and allowed for a deeper inquiry and richer perspective on participant’s experiences of physical activity. The semi-structured guide included predetermined questions aimed at obtaining narratives on physical activity in childhood and adulthood (see Table 1). All focus groups and the dyadic and one-on-one interviews were facilitated by a trained bilingual, bicultural researcher matched to participants, and conducted at a community center. The sessions were recorded through audio and field notes. Participants were compensated with a $20 gift card for their participation, for which the amount was determined based on the time and effort involved in the participating in the study.

Table 1.

Sample Questions

Domain	Questions
Perceptions of Physical Activity in Childhood	1) What are some ways in which you typically engaged in physical activity?
	2) How do you remember feeling about engaging in physical activity?
	3) What helped you to be physically active?
Barriers to Physical Activity in Childhood	1) What made it difficult for you to be physically active?
Perceptions of Physical Activity in Adulthood	1) What are some ways in which you typically engage in physical activity?
	2) What are your feelings about engaging in physical activity?
	3) What helps you be physically active?
Barriers to Physical Activity in Adulthood	1) What makes it difficult for you to be physically active?

Analysis

A team of bilingual, bicultural researchers analyzed the data. The audio files from the focus group and interview discussions were transcribed verbatim in the language in which they were recorded to preserve the integrity of the responses.²⁸ Transcripts were analyzed in their original language (ie, Spanish or English) and coded in English by bilingual researchers, ensuring that nuances in meaning were not lost in the translation process, and greater familiarization and immersion with the raw data.^29,30 Two bilingual, bicultural researchers independently coded the transcripts and reached consensus on codes. Minor discrepancies in coding were discussed; agreement on all final codes was achieved to develop a coding frame that was then applied to all transcripts. Researchers then worked together to identify common themes that emerged from the data. Thematic analysis employing inductive and deductive coding was used to code, categorize, and summarize data into themes. Supporting quotes for each of the themes were also translated to English from the Spanish transcripts. Atlas.ti 8 was used to facilitate data management and analysis of the qualitative data. SAS 9.4 (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) was used to conduct descriptive statistics.

RESULTS

Descriptive Characteristics

Table 2 displays the characteristics of the participants based on the survey and anthropometric data. Most of the sample was married (60.87%), and among those that reported being foreign-born in our sample (73.91%), more than half lived in the US ≥ 10 years (64.71%). The majority of participants were overweight or obese (86.96%).

Table 2.

Characteristics of Study Sample (N = 23)

Variable	M (SD)a [Range] or %
Age, years	28.83 (4.50) [21–35]
Marital status (%)
Married	60.9%
Cohabitating	21.7%
Never married	17.4%
Education (%)
Less than high school degree	60.9%
High school degree or more	39.1%
Annual household income <$15,000	39.1%
Nativity (%)
Born in US	26.1%
Foreign-born	73.9%
Living in US <10 years	35.3%
Living in US ≥10 years	64.7%
Body mass index (%)
Overweight or obese	87.0%
Normal weight or underweight	13.0%

Note.

^aMean = mean, SD = standard deviation.

Themes Identified

There were five themes that emerged from the data (see Table 3) that highlighted Latinas’ perceptions of physical activity and experiences of barriers to physical activity in childhood and adulthood.

Table 3.

Focus Group Themes and Supporting Participant Quotations^a

Theme 1: Physical activity is enjoyable

1.1 I always liked doing exercise very much, I liked playing basketball very much (Participant #8).

1.2 It (physical activity) gives you a perspective of belonging to like a team or belonging to something (Participant #1).

1.3 I like walking very much, whenever I can because now my daughter has asthma so it’s what stops me a little bit (Participant #8).

1.4 It feels good (exercise)… you feel better about yourself, even if you just exercise just a little bit, you can feel the difference (Participant #2).

Theme 2: Family influences physical activity

2.1 My dad would always say to us that we were not going in car, in horse, or anything because he said that helped us to walk. So, my siblings and I would go walking. It was about 40–45 minutes going and 45 going back and that was daily… (Participant #9).

2.2 Sometimes if I take my kid to the park, while he plays, I walk (Participant #6).

2.3 What has the greatest impact on me being physically active is my family (Participant #23).

2.4 They (family) are always telling me to go to the park, to do exercise, because I am a person that likes to be at home, without going out, and they are not like that, they always want to go out, walk, they explore parks… (Participant #23).

2.5 (Exercise) is a healthier lifestyle for oneself and for the children because if they see that one (parent) is always sitting down it is logical that they want to do the same. So, I think that is very important for oneself as well for the children that they see that it is important to be active, to walk, run, play, whatever it is right, but to do some activity (Participant #9).

2.6 I do not have family here, so I would have to pay a sitter (to exercise) … and it becomes very difficult (to exercise) (Participant #24).

2.7 I have a 6-year-old kid, but he does not like doing anything, anything at all… he says he gets very tired and does not want to walk with me… (Participant #12).

2.8 I do not have, like, a sitter, I feel like I am a single parent but I am not, because, yeah, like, my husband believes you know the wife everything, wife, wife, wife…so at times it can get stressful and difficult for me to actually go to the gym when I am so motivated to go (Participant #15).

Theme 3: Different way of life in comparison to native country influences physical activity

3.1 In those times there was no telephone, I did not watch television, we would go out with the kids and have fun, time would pass by fast (Participant #11).

3.2 Where we lived sometimes there wasn’t a car available for us to go out when we needed to the go to the doctor or something, so, sometimes we would have to walk 2 hours (Participant #11).

3.3 I lived in Mexico, and in Mexico I did not need to go to gym because over there I did everything walking. Where I am from, to go grocery shopping I have to walk. I had to walk 30 minutes or 25 and do everything walking, go to school walking, go where I needed to be walking. When I arrived here (to the U.S.) I did not like this way of life, I truly did not like it. However, I tried to find ways (to be active) because this is where my husband works so I joined a gym (Participant #12).

3.4 When I arrived here (to the U.S.) I did not do anything. I was alone in the apartment and I began to gain weight… (Participant #12).

Theme 4: Physical activity is important for health

4.1 I am pre-diabetic and I have high cholesterol, so all of that motivates me as well to exercise (Participant #11).

4.2 If I do not do anything (exercise), I feel depressed, I am in a bad mood. Those are the days that I do not know if that happens to you that you do not even want to move because you do not feel like doing anything… so I believe that with a little of exercise… just moving your body, it is like energy, like something sparks and it helps with the other things (Participant #8).

4.3 My family has a history of heart attacks, diabetes, and I myself want to, at least try to, lower (the risk) as much as possible, so that is my motivation (Participant #15).

4.4 Since I observed everything he experienced because of his (father’s) diabetes, I am scared to develop the disease (diabetes). I am scared because I know (having diabetes) is not easy (Participant #12).

Theme 5: Responsibilities are barriers to engaging in physical activity in adulthood

5.1 To me it was not difficult (to be active), as a girl I was very, very active (Participant #17).

5.2 I participated in the household responsibilities with my mom, I am the oldest and always participated in the household responsibilities, that helped us to be motivated (to be active) (Participant #12).

5.3 By the time I do everything else, I am tired and that (exercise) is the last thing I am thinking about (Participant #14).

5.4 I just decided, you know what, forget about it (exercise) and I decided to continue with my job work, stand with my priorities (work), and I would leave that behind (exercise) (Participant #14).

5.5 As a women, you are always working somehow, someway… by 6 or 7 o’clock you are just like “I am done for the day”, because you are doing so much, as a mother, as a wife, as you know whatever responsibilities you have. So, sometimes exercising is really not on your mind (Participant #1).

5.6 My husband is diabetic, he has chronic kidney failure, and he is blind. Sometimes his sickness gets complicated, and right now that is what mostly impedes me (from being physically active) (Participant #10).

5.7 Well I have a girl with special needs, and I spend all my time with her in therapy, in appointments, and sometimes I don’t have time to exercise (Participant #5).

Note.

^aParticipant numbers are used to protect the identities of participants.

Theme 1: Physical activity is enjoyable.

Most participants reported perceiving physical activity as enjoyable when they were children (1.1). Participants reported that they perceived physical activity in childhood as fun because of the activities they engaged in (eg, running, dancing, sports), and it gave them a sense of belonging to interact with others (eg, peers, family) through physical activity (1.2). Several participants mentioned that they also enjoyed being physically active in adulthood; however, barriers such as illness of a family member precluded them from engaging in physical activity (1.3). Some of the women reported that they enjoyed being physically active because it made them feel good about themselves (1.4).

Theme 2: Family influences physical activity.

The influence of family support on physical activity was discussed in all focus groups. Participants indicated that as children they were encouraged by their parents to be physically active (2.1). Most participants stated that in adulthood, activities with their children such as playing, walking children to school, and taking their children to the park, greatly influenced their activity levels (2.2). Some participants reported that they received support and motivation from their family to engage in physical activity (2.3), and they were unsure if they would participate in physical activity if it were not for their children encouraging them to be active (2.4). Several participants also stated that it was important to engage in physical activity with their children to role model the importance of being physically active (2.5). However, some participants also cited that a lack of support from family was a barrier to being physically active (2.6, 2.7). For example, one participant described feeling “like a single parent” due to lack of support from her husband and desired sharing parenting responsibilities to allow her time to engage in physical activity (2.8).

Theme 3: Different way of life in comparison to native country influences physical activity.

In the Spanish focus groups consisting of primarily foreign-born individuals, some participants discussed their culturally-distinct experiences of growing up as children in their native country. They recalled having to walk to travel to places (instead of driving) and not having access to technology that would have distracted them from engaging in physical activity (eg, lack of access to cellphone or smartphone), as having an impact on their physical activity (3.1). Participants also stated that in their native countries, it was very common to walk everywhere (3.2). Participants also reported that moving to the US as adults and adjusting to a new way of life had a negative impact on their physical activity (3.3, 3.4).

Theme 4: Physical activity is important for health.

Most of the participants stated that physical activity was important for their health. Some of them reported becoming physically active in adulthood after being diagnosed with health problems that could be controlled with lifestyle changes (eg, high cholesterol) (4.1). Several participants mentioned that engaging in physical activity helped them to reduce stress levels and lifted their spirits when they felt depressed (4.2). Participants described their experiences, in both childhood and adulthood, observing close family members living with the burden of chronic disease as influencing their perceptions regarding the importance of physical activity (4.3, 4.4).

Theme 5: Responsibilities are barriers to engaging in physical activity during adulthood.

Most participants reported not experiencing barriers to physical activity in childhood (5.1) and mentioned that their household responsibilities as children resulted in higher levels of physical activity (5.2). Barriers to engaging in physical activity were reported in adulthood, and included lack of energy or motivation and lack of time, which were cited as major barriers (5.3), making it difficult to prioritize physical activity (5.4). Participants voiced that their responsibilities related to their culturally normative roles of being a mother and wife took priority over being physically active (5.5). Some also suggested that family responsibilities (eg, caring for children and spouses) created barriers to physical activity through lack of time and energy to dedicate to physical activity (5.6, 5.7).

DISCUSSION

This study illustrates perceptions and barriers to physical activity in childhood and adulthood among Latinas. In our qualitative study, individuals described their perceptions of, as well as barriers to, physical activity experienced in their childhood and adulthood. To our knowledge, this is one of the first studies to identify the perceptions and barriers to physical activity in childhood among this population. The focus groups and the dyadic and one-on-one interviews conducted in our study can provide further insight into methods to enhance the tailoring of health promotion initiatives targeting Latinas, using an action research method³¹ to determine the best approaches to increase physical activity. Although we did not have the capacity to use our study findings in an intervention, our study illustrates an approach that could be used to conduct a cultural analysis prior to an intervention.

Most participants described perceiving physical activity as important for health and enjoyable in both their childhood and adulthood. Given the paucity of research on perceptions of physical activity in childhood among US Latino adults overall, these findings provide insight into perceptions related to physical activity which could help to better inform physical activity promotion efforts among Latinas. Additionally, consistent with our findings, in prior research among Latino adults, participants have described physical activity as enjoyable and important for health.³⁰ Specifically, similar to our study, a prior study among Latinas showed that women expressed that they gained enjoyment from their physical activity and emphasized that being physically active was important for their health.³²

Participants in our study described the important role of family social support on their physical activity in both childhood and adulthood. Participants indicated that as children their parents encouraged them to be physically active, highlighting the important role that their parents played in their physical activity as children. Study participants also reported that in adulthood cultural influences served as both facilitators and barriers affecting their physical activity through normative cultural and familial roles as wives and mothers, echoing prior work in the field. Social support has been shown to be an important motivator of physical activity among Latinas^6–8,33and social support specifically from family may be particularly important given the cultural emphasis on family among Latinas.^6,7 In our study, the importance of having social support from their children and being a role model of healthy behaviors (ie, being physically active) for their children was commonly cited by participants. Similarly, in studies among Latinas, women have described the importance of their children in motivating them to stay active³² and have expressed strongly believing parents teach children the importance of health through modeling healthy behaviors, which lays the foundation of lifelong health for children.³⁴

Conversely, some of the women in our study voiced that their traditional roles as mother and wife did not allow them time to be active, acting as barriers to physical activity. For example, some of the participants expressed that their spouses did not support their desire to be physically active. In previous research, Latinas have expressed that it is difficult to make time for physical activity due to their traditional roles as mother and wife that prioritizes their family, and the cultural values and beliefs held by their husbands that focus on women caring for their children and home.^7,32 A study among Latinas showed that emotional support provided by their husbands was a consistent and major influence on lifestyle behaviors, including their physical activity.³⁵ Additionally, similar to our findings, prior research among Latinas has also shown that knowledge of physical activity, time management, advocacy skills, and childcare support²⁸ have been identified as important for engaging in physical activity. Further research is warranted on utilizing facilitators of physical activity to address barriers in this population.

Interestingly, participants in our study did not identify any barriers to physical activity in childhood. Given the paucity of research focused on barriers to physical activity in childhood among this population, further research is needed to understand the context around barriers to physical activity in childhood versus adulthood. Future research should also consider further examining barriers to physical activity across the life course in this population to better understand the changes that occur in physical activity over the lifespan and to improve efforts to mitigate the impact of barriers on physical activity. In contrast, participants in our study suggested that daily responsibilities in adulthood reduced the time and energy they had to dedicate to physical activity and made it difficult for them to prioritize being physically active. Time limitations and lack of energy or fatigue have been previously reported as barriers to physical activity among Latinos.^3,6 Further, family-related responsibilities and decreased social support have been cited as perceived cultural barriers to engaging in leisure-time physical activity.^6,7 Findings further support the need to consider barriers such as time limitations and fatigue when developing physical activity interventions targeting Latina women. Future research targeting physical activity among this group should consider focusing on opportunities to be physically active while individuals are completing their routine or daily activities, including those related to engagement with the community center.

Lastly, among foreign-born participants, a culturally different way of life in their native countries was described as a facilitator of physical activity in their youth, while their changed lifestyle in the U.S. as adults created barriers to physical activity. In our study, participants reported walking as their primary form of transportation in their native countries. This is consistent with previous studies among foreign-born Latinas, in which participants reported more opportunities to be physically active in their native countries compared with the U.S., which may be attributed to increased reliance on cars for transportation in the U.S. versus reliance on bicycles and walking in their native countries.³⁶ Changes in physical activity among foreign-born Latinas after migration to the U.S. could be also be attributed to acculturation stress related to lifestyle changes,³⁷ such as competing work and family demands, multiple working shifts, long working hours,³⁶ incorporation of new cultural values, changes in social and recreation activities, isolation, lack of time, and demanding work obligations.³⁸

Despite the strengths of our study, there are limitations to consider. Our study findings reflect the experiences and perceptions of a small purposive sample of Latinas. Our original sample only included one man despite our efforts to recruit a greater proportion of men in the sample for enhanced variation or greater range of responses across participants. As the data provided by the single male did not contribute any additional themes or change our findings, his data was excluded from the dataset for the sake of a deeper analysis afforded by a homogenous sample. However, our difficulties in recruiting Latino men into this study highlights the recruitment barriers reported by other researchers regarding the inclusion of Latino men in physical activity studies.^6,39 Future studies should consider alternate recruitment venues (eg, churches, community events) and strategies (eg, snowball recruitment) to enhance the diversity of the sample and, thus, transferability of results. Although our study findings primarily reflect the experiences of Latina women living in Houston and of which a large proportion were of low socioeconomic background, studies with similarly derived samples exist in the literature.^40–42 Additionally, our results provide preliminary data that could inform the development of an intervention among the population in our study. Lastly, although our sample included foreign-born individuals, since we did not stratify our focus groups by nativity, differences in experiences related to physical activity patterns from childhood to adulthood could not be compared by nativity. Future research should consider examining differences in experiences related to physical activity from childhood to adulthood by nativity to better understand the physical activity patterns that occur over the life course and their influence on health among foreign-born Latinas.

Our study findings provide further insight into factors that influence physical activity among Latinas. Importantly, our findings add to the literature by identifying factors related to physical activity in childhood among this population, which remains understudied. For instance, the findings further highlight that culture plays an important role in the adoption and maintenance of physical activity in childhood and adulthood among Latinas. The consideration of culture is necessary in understanding disparities in physical activity in Latinas. Our study findings identified perceptions and barriers to physical activity that can be used to develop culturally-tailored interventions that address the experiences of this population. As such, this research provides actionable findings on how to integrate perceptions about health, cultural norms, and traditional gender and familial roles that uniquely influence physical activity into targeted interventions to promote physical activity among Latinas.

IMPLICATIONS FOR HEALTH BEHAVIOR OR POLICY

Our results illustrate how experiences that occur in childhood and adulthood can shed light on patterns of physical activity among Latinas. These findings highlight the importance of considering experiences throughout the lifespan to obtain a better understanding of how perceptions of physical activity formed throughout the lifespan and barriers to physical activity in adulthood, may influence physical activity performance in Latinas. We recommend that researchers further examine how experiences in childhood versus adulthood ultimately shape attitudes and outcomes related to physical activity. When working with Latinas, researchers and practitioners should consider cultural factors such as the role of family and nativity, to better understand how to promote physical activity and thereby promote health in this population. By understanding the influence of lived experiences throughout the lifespan, the significant role of culture, and socioeconomic context in which they live in, researchers will be better positioned to inform recommendations for developing health promotion programs that target Latinas.

Additionally, in an effort to increase physical activity among Latinas of low socioeconomic status, such as many of the women in our sample, researchers and policymakers should continue to develop and support policies that promote physical activity in low socioeconomic neighborhoods that may lack the built and social environment to support physical activity, acting as barriers to physical activity and exacerbating the health disparities burdening this population. The findings from our work provide insight into factors that should be considered to promote physical activity to ultimately increase the number of adults that engage in enough physical activity to obtain health benefits, which aligns with Healthy People 2030. Having a deeper understanding of the factors that influence physical activity among Latinas is critical in promoting physical activity and reducing health disparities in this population. We recommend that practitioners, researchers, and policymakers continue to work towards identifying the cultural, social, and physical determinants that contribute to physical activity disparities, and translate these findings into programs and policies that will lead to health equity among Latinas.