Still striding toward social justice? Redirecting physical activity research in a post-COVID-19 world
Authors
Lee, Rebecca E.Joseph, Rodney P.
Blackman Carr, Loneke T.
Strayhorn, Shaila Marie.
Faro, Jamie M.
Lane, Hannah
Monroe, Courtney
Pekmezi, Dorothy
Szeszulski, Jacob
UMass Chan Affiliations
Department of Population and Quantitative Health SciencesDocument Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2021-04-03Keywords
African AmericansEthnic groups
Health equity
Hispanic Americans
Physical exercise
Racism
COVID-19
physical activity
social justice
Behavioral Medicine
Health Services Administration
Infectious Disease
Race and Ethnicity
Social Justice
Translational Medical Research
Virus Diseases
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
The COVID-19 crisis and parallel Black Lives Matter movement have amplified longstanding systemic injustices among people of color (POC). POC have been differentially affected by COVID-19, reflecting the disproportionate burden of ongoing chronic health challenges associated with socioeconomic inequalities and unhealthy behaviors, including a lack of physical activity. Clear and well-established benefits link daily physical activity to health and well-being-physical, mental, and existential. Despite these benefits, POC face additional barriers to participation. Thus, increasing physical activity among POC requires additional considerations so that POC can receive the same opportunities to safely participate in physical activity as Americans who are White. Framed within the Ecologic Model of Physical Activity, this commentary briefly describes health disparities in COVID-19, physical activity, and chronic disease experienced by POC; outlines underlying putative mechanisms that connect these disparities; and offers potential solutions to reduce these disparities. As behavioral medicine leaders, we advocate that solutions must redirect the focus of behavioral research toward community-informed and systems solutions.Source
Lee RE, Joseph RP, Blackman Carr LT, Strayhorn SM, Faro JM, Lane H, Monroe C, Pekmezi D, Szeszulski J. Still striding toward social justice? Redirecting physical activity research in a post-COVID-19 world. Transl Behav Med. 2021 Apr 3:ibab026. doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibab026. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33822205. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1093/tbm/ibab026Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/27424PubMed ID
33822205Related Resources
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1093/tbm/ibab026