Being physically active: Perceptions of recent mexican immigrant women on the Arizona-Mexico border

Mexican immigrant women report being physically active prior to arrival in the United States. However, with increased years of U.S. residency, this positive lifestyle behavior diminishes, increasing their risk of obesity and chronic disease. A qualitative descriptive design was used to elicit recent Mexican immigrant women's perceptions of "being physically active" and to describe how living in the United States has influenced their perceptions of being physically active. Three themes were inductively generated: (a) purposeful exercising, (b) being active, and (c) being active with purposeful exercising. Overall, being physically active was described within the context of daily living well below the recommended levels of intensity, duration, and frequency. These findings can be used to inform multilevel interventions delivered early in the immigration process to prevent sedentary behaviors.