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Physical Activity Behaviors and Influences Among Chinese–American Children Aged 9–13 Years: A Qualitative Study

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Abstract

Low physical activity is a major health issue among Chinese Americans. This study explored Chinese–American children’s physical activity behaviors and influencing factors. Twenty-five children of Chinese or Taiwanese descent were interviewed to understand their favorite sports or physical activities, physical activity environments, and influences on their physical activity. All were between the ages of 9 and 13. Interviews were transcribed and coded using thematic data analysis procedures. Major themes included: (1) team sports, particularly basketball, were commonly listed as favorite sports or activities; (2) physical activity occurred mostly at school or an after-school setting; and (3) family played a major role in physical activity. Some trends/differences were detected based on age, sex, and socioeconomic status. Interventions to promote physical activity among Chinese–American children should emphasize team sports and encourage physical activity in schools, but also explore ways to involves families outside of school.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all the participating children and their parents, as well as the staff members at the community/cultural centers. Thank you also to Tzu-An Chen for her recruitment efforts and Alicia Beltran for the NVivo training. This research was funded by institutional support from the US Department of Agriculture/Agricultural Research Service under Cooperative Agreement no. 58-6250-0-008. At the time of study, CSD was supported by a Primary Care Research Training Grant from National Research Service Award (#T32 HP10031).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Cassandra S. Diep, Debbe Thompson & Tom Baranowski

  2. Department of Health Disparities Research - Unit 1440, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, P.O. Box 301402, Houston, TX, 77230-1402, USA

    Cassandra S. Diep

  3. Department of Health Sciences, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA

    Randall Leung

  4. Houston Health Department, Office of Planning, Evaluation and Research for Effectiveness, Houston, TX, USA

    Beverly J. Gor

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  1. Cassandra S. Diep
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Correspondence to Cassandra S. Diep.

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Diep, C.S., Leung, R., Thompson, D. et al. Physical Activity Behaviors and Influences Among Chinese–American Children Aged 9–13 Years: A Qualitative Study. J Immigrant Minority Health 19, 358–366 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10903-016-0457-4

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