Table 1

Sociodemographic, health related, psychosocial, environmental, and physician counselling variables assessed

Determinant Possible responses Coding
Sociodemographic factors
1 Race/ethnicityWhiteDummy coded with White=reference group
African American
American Indian/Alaskan Native
Hispanic
2 Age40+ yearsContinuous variable
3 Education level⩽ high school educationDummy coded with 0= ⩽ HS; 1= > HS
> high school education
4 Geographical regionNortheastDummy coded with West=reference group
Midwest
South
West
Health related factors
1 Number of days of past 30 that health was not good0+ daysDummy coded with 0=0 days; 1=1+ days
2 Limitation because of any impairment or health problemYes0=no, 1=yes
No
3 Body mass indexWeight (kg) / height (m)2 kg/m2
Psychosocial factors
1 Perceived barriers to LTPA:Rated the frequency of each barrier1=never, 2=rarely, 3=sometimes, 4=often, 5=very often
 Others discourageNumber of items rated as “often” or “very often” were summedPossible range: 0–10, with a higher number indicating more barriers rated as “often” or “very often”
 Self consciousness about appearance
Fear of injury
Lack of time
Too tired
Lack a safe place
Caregiving duties
Poor weather
Health problems
Lack energy
2 Social support for LTPA from family and friendsRated social support on 4 items.1=strongly agree, 2=agree, 3=disagree, 4=strongly agree
Items were summed to provide an overall measure of social support for LTPAPossible range: 4–16, with higher scores indicating less social support
Environmental factors
1 SidewalksRated the presence or absence of each factor0=absent; 1=present
2 Heavy traffic
3 Hills
4 Streetlights
5 Unattended dogs
6 Enjoyable scenery
7 Frequently observe others exercising
8 High levels of crime
9 Easy access to walking trails, swimming pools, recreation centres, or bicycle paths
Physician advice to exercise Indicated whether advised by a physician, in the past year, to exercise more0=no; 1=yes