Project WEL: Walking & Environment in older Latinos

This pilot study will add to what is known about barriers and facilitators to walking among older Latinos by comparing self-reported barriers to an objective walking audit of the same area with the following specific aims:

1. Use focus groups to identify perceived barriers/facilitators to walking/physical activity among older Latinos living in Block Group 4/Census Tract 4610, South Chicago and compare them to barriers/facilitators to walking reported by older non-Hispanic whites.
2. Use an environmental audit to examine community and street-scale factors associated with physical activity among older Latinos living in Block Group 4.
3. Compare focus group and audit findings to examine the consistency of findings using the two methods.

To accomplish this work, Dr. Marquez is working with Thomas Prohaska, PhD, professor of Community Health Sciences, and Eve Pinsker, Director For Research Evaluation at Jane Addams College of Social Work.