2015 APHA Annual Meeting & Expo

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Recorded Annual Meeting Presentations (RAMP) are now available for purchase.
Only $90 for presenters, $140 for registered attendees and $200 for non-attendees.

Online Program

335961
Factors associated with physicians recommending physical activity for people with disabilities


Monday, November 2, 2015 : 11:30 a.m. - 11:50 a.m.

Vijay Vasudevan, PhD, MPH, Department on Disability and Human Development, Institute on Disability and Human Development, Chicago, IL
Henan Li, MS, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Yochai Eisenberg, MUPP, Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL
Tapan Mehta, PhD, Department of Health Services Administration, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
Studies have demonstrated that when people with disabilities did not receive a recommendation of physical activity from their physician, they were more likely to be inactive. Those who did get a recommendation had higher odds of being active. The purpose of this study is to examine factors that are associated with physician recommendation of physical activity for people with disabilities.  

Data from the 2002-2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey and National Health Interview Survey were used to estimate the relationship between physician recommendations of physical activity for people with disabilities.

Overall, 13.5% of adults and 7.6% of children had disability. The majority of people with disabilities had private insurance (48.3%), while 43.2% had public insurance only, and 8.5% were uninsured. The distribution of a physician recommending physical activity did not differ significantly for children with disabilities (χ2 =459.68, p>.05) but differed significantly in adults with disabilities (χ2 = 1329.81, p<.001) by different insurance status. When controlling for year effects, age, sex and BMI for adults with disabilities, having private or public insurance increased the odds of having physicians recommend physical activity (1.312 and 1.477 respectively, p<.001). When controlling for year effects, sex, age and insurance status of children with disabilities, having higher BMI increased the odds of a physician recommending of physical activity (1.018, p<.01). Insurance status was not a significant factor in children.

Physicians play a unique role when promoting physical activity for people with disabilities. Future studies should examine the effects from the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.

Learning Areas:

Chronic disease management and prevention
Provision of health care to the public

Learning Objectives:
Describe the relationship of factors that might affect physicians recommending physical activity for people with disabilities. Discuss ways to increase physician recommendation of physical activity for people with disabilities

Keyword(s): Disabilities, Physical Activity

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I have received my PhD in Disability Studies with a focus in physical activity promotion for people with disabilities.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

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