The sociocultural context of physical activity in older Mexican American women

Research is needed to exam the sociocultural factors that inform the decision of Hispanics to adopt and maintain physical activity. This study examined the sociocultural context among Mexican American women living in a low-income neighborhood. The women structured their behavior around the themes of family/kinship relationships and gender expectations, which in turn have embedded caregiving as an essential expectation that structures their behavior. "Being there," or physical presence, was a behavioral demonstration of these themes, and physical activity is seen as a behavior that has the potential to make the women unavailable for family/kinship relationships and gender expectations, both of which require caregiving. Nurses need to reframe physical activity relative to being an activity that will enhance the ability to be physically present for their families.