Learning Objective #1: Understand the factors of participation in leisure-time physical activity among Korean immigrant women

Learning Objective #2: Discuss how to apply the findings of the study to enhance women's participation in leisure-time physical activity

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Regular leisure-time physical activity can improve one's psychological/emotional, physical, and cognitive functionality. In spite of plenty of evidence that physical activity has general health benefits, there is still need to increase women's involvement in leisure-time physical activity and to investigate the predictors of their participation. Purpose: This study examines the factors predicting participation in leisure-time physical activity among Korean immigrant women, based on a health-promotion model of physical activity. Method: A convenience sample of 150 participants was recruited from Korean American communities in Central Texas. All the data were checked for skewness, Kurtosis, and multicollinearity. Descriptive statistics (frequency, means, and standard deviation) and stepwise regression analyses were used to analyze the research data. Findings: The mean age of the participants was 47.03 years (SD = 6.1), and their average education was 14.5 years (SD = 2.9). The length of residency in the U.S. ranged from 11 months to 37.5 years, with an average of 14.9 years (SD = 9.43). There was no significant relationship between the length of residency in the U.S. and their involvement in exercise. Participation in exercise was significantly predicted by age, education, income, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, and self-efficacy (F(6,137)=17.802; p=.000; Adj R2 =.413). The most frequently reported forms of exercise were swimming, golf, and walking. Conclusion/Discussion: Korean immigrant women who are more educated, more income and older are more likely to involve themselves in leisure-time physical activity. In addition, higher values for perceived benefits and self-efficacy and lower values for perceived barriers were significant predictors of involvement in leisure-time physical activity among them. This study contributed to knowledge about leisure-time physical activity involvement among adult Korean immigrant women. Nursing researchers need to study how to enhance the individual attributes and social conditions of women that have strong positive relationships with their involvement in physical activity.