Lack of time for physical activity: perception or reality for African American and Hispanic women?

Lack of time is a well-known barrier to physical activity. It is not known, however, whether this barrier reflects actual time commitments. This study examined time commitments of women and assessed the relationship between time commitments and perceived lack of time for physical activity. Participants were 249 African American and Hispanic women, aged 45 to 70 years. These women devoted much of their time to their responsibilities as workers, housekeepers, mothers and wives. They also spent 28 hours per week in sedentary leisure-time activity. Actual time commitments did not predict perceived lack of time for physical activity. These findings can be used to address the misperceptions of women about time available to them for physical activity.