Mexican-Americans come closest to meeting national physical activity goals

February 11, 2010

By hammersmith

[Source: ScienceDaily] – When it comes to meeting national health goals for physical activity, Mexican-Americans are the most active group in America and may benefit from exercise that researchers typically have not measured, according to research by scholars at the University of Chicago and Arizona State University.

The new research, which used electronic devices to measure people’s movement, challenges other studies based on self-reports that claimed non-Hispanic whites are most likely to be physically active.

The researchers found that nearly 27 percent of Mexican-Americans met a national goal of getting at least 30 minutes of moderate activity five days a week or vigorous activity for 20 minutes at least three days a week; about 20 percent of whites and 15 percent of blacks achieved that level of exercise.

For more information: Mexican-Americans Come Closest to Meeting National Physical Activity Goals