Correlation between physical activity and self-rated health status of non-elderly adults with disabilities

Objectives. Physical activity participation is a promising pathway for reducing chronic disease risk and improving health outcomes of adults with disabilities. The objective of this study was to examine physical activity participation as a potential predictor of self-rated health status of a unique sub-population of non-elderly, non-assistive device using adults with disabilities. Methods. This cross-sectional study analyzed population-based data from the 2007 U.S. Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. A sample of 46,883 adults with disabilities was examined. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine whether physical activity participation predicted self-rated health status controlling for age. gender, income level, health insurance status, BMI, smoking status, education level, and heart disease, arthritis, asthma and diabetes diagnoses. Results. Physical activity participation was significantly associated with self-rated health status. Those who participated in no physical activity were more likely to report fair or poor health by a factor of 3.3 (95% CI: 2.6-4.2) compared to those who met national recommendations for physical activity. Only 43.1% met one or both of the recommended physical activity guidelines. Conclusions. Adequate physical activity participation is correlated to better health status among adults with disabilities not associated with aging. Physical activity promotion is warranted for this population. (C) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.