The Impact of Moderate Physical Activity on Weight and Blood Pressure in an Elderly Mexican-American Female Population

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

Fall 2019

Abstract

The rates of obesity and related health conditions are rising at an alarming rate, especially among minority populations. Sedentary lifestyles in the elderly have been linked to the high rates of chronic illness. This study sought to determine if daily moderate walking exercise reflected changes on weight as well as systolic and diastolic blood pressure in Mexican-American females. Participants for this study were fifty-five Mexican-American females ages sixty to seventy-five, randomly assigned to a treatment or control group. A pedometer was utilized to record steps for participants in the treatment group. After a period of twelve weeks, weight, systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure were positively affected for the treatment group, but not the control group. Results indicate that an intervention as simple as pedometer use can impact health-risk variables in the selected population.

First Page

8

Last Page

12

Publication Title

TAHPERD Journal

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