Aerobic Physical Activity and Psychological Distress Among Latinas of Childbearing Age

Higher aerobic physical activity (PA) has been associated with lower psychological distress. However, limited research has examined this association among Latinas of childbearing age, a group disproportionately burdened by higher rates of psychological distress. Therefore, we examined if aerobic PA was associated with psychological distress in Latinas of childbearing age and tested if associations varied by nativity.

We used cross-sectional 2012-2018 National Health Interview Survey data on Latinas 18-44 years of age (n = 9,873). Meeting the aerobic PA recommendation (versus less than the recommendation) was classified as ≥150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week, ≥75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week, or ≥150 minutes of an equivalent combination of moderate- and vigorous-intensity activity per week. Psychological distress was measured using the Kessler 6 scale and categorized as "none ≤ 6," "moderate = 6-12," and "serious ≥ 13." Multinomial logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between meeting the aerobic PA recommendation and psychological distress.

In adjusted models, Latinas meeting the aerobic PA recommendation versus those that did not were significantly less likely to report moderate psychological distress (odds ratio [OR]: 0.82; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.71, 0.94). In models stratified by nativity, U.S.-born Latinas meeting the aerobic PA recommendation were significantly less likely to report moderate (OR: 0.71; 95% CI: 0.58, 0.87) and serious psychological distress (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.46, 0.96).

Our findings highlight the importance of promoting PA in Latinas of childbearing age and connecting them with mental health resources.