Women
with disabilities are much more likely to have very low levels of physical activity than non-disabled women.
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Barriers to participation in
physical activity include knowledge, skills, attitudes, values, beliefs, social
support for participation, time, money, and accessibility issues.
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Studies
have not yet investigated whether the long-term
benefits of physical activity, such as reduced risk for cardiovascular
disease, osteoporosis, and obesity, can be obtained by women with disabilities.
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Since
women with disabilities have low rates of physical activity, it is important to
identify determinants, or factors,
that predict exercise maintenance for this population. To date, only one study
has investigated determinants of physical activity among people with
disabilities (Kinne, Patrick, & Maher, 1999).
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Much
more research is needed to investigate methods to promote physical activity effectively among women with
disabilities.
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While
the usefulness of alternate forms of moderate physical
activity, such as T'ai Chi, has not been explored specifically for women with
disabilities, some preliminary evidence of their usefulness for person with
disabilities has been documented in mixed gender research.
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Most women
with physical disabilities report with confidence that they follow a healthy
diet. However, when asked about specific dietary
behaviors, most fall short of their intentions.
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Overweight
and obesity are common secondary
conditions for women with disabilities. According to Healthy People 2010,
only 35% of women with disabilities were at a healthy height compared to 45% of
women without disabilities.
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Factors explaining the disparity of overweight and obesity among
women with disabilities are not well understood.
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Women
with disabilities encounter significant barriers
to weight management.
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Few clinical guidelines for obesity offer
suggestions for counseling overweight persons with mobility impairments.
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Measurement issues for
people with mobility impairments present significant challenges in efforts to
research and set clinical guidelines for weight management in this population.
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Overweight
women with disabilities may develop negative
body image. Low self-esteem, depression, and stress may be associated with
overweight and obesity.
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Women with disabilities have very low rates of physical activity, which may be an important
contributor to overweight in this population.
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Younger women with
disabilities are significantly more likely to smoke than non-disabled women in
the same age group.
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There
have been no studies conducted on the consequences
of smoking in women with mobility impairments.
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There
have been no studies conducted on how best to help women with disabilities to stop smoking.
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Women
with disabilities face numerous barriers to getting good preventive health care services.
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Wellness
programs for non-disabled women often have equipment
or architectural barriers that prevent women with disabilities from
participating.
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Several
new wellness programs have been developed to help women with disabilities
develop health promoting behaviors.
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