Likelihood of Meeting Physical Activity Guidelines of Veterans Who Are Obese by Disability Status

The purpose of this study was to explore the likelihood of meeting the physical activity guidelines in veterans who are obese by disability status.

We used data from the 2017 Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, a cross-sectional telephone survey. The mean response rate was 44.9%.

Respondents came from all 50 states, District of Columbia, and 3 US territories.

Respondents included veterans self-reporting being obese (N = 13 798).

We created a mutually exclusive disability variable: no disability, multiple disability, and limitations only with hearing, vision, cognitive, mobility, Activities of Daily Living, or Instrumental Activities of Daily Living. Physical activity guidelines were defined as 150 minutes/week of aerobic activity and 2 days/week of strength activities.

Prevalence ratios (PRs) were calculated by performing separate log-binomial regression models for meeting strength and aerobic recommendations on veterans who were obese.

Obese veterans with mobility limitations only or multiple disabilities were significantly less likely to meet the aerobic (PR = 0.74, P = .002 and PR = .62, P = .021, respectively) or strength (PR = .76, P < .001 and PR = 0.74, P < .001, respectively) recommendations, compared to not having a disability (n = 7964).

Inactivity could be explained by a lack of inclusive weight loss programs for veterans with disabilities and barriers to physical activity encountered by people with disabilities. Two primary limitations of this study are self-report of obesity and physical activity and exclusion of adults in institutional settings.