ABSTRACT
All racial and ethnic minority groups and other subpopulations discussed in this text include low-income people. Therefore, low-income populations are an essential high-priority group to study and promote physical activity. Understanding the physical activity patterns and trends, influences, and intervention successes in this population has the potential to affect all other target populations. Depending on the source, "low income" has been defined in a variety of ways. Low-income populations report lower levels of physical activity compared to higher-income populations. In 1996, the Surgeon General's Report found that, for the most part, the prevalence of physical inactivity was greater among persons with lower levels of education and income. The term "environmental justice" refers to efforts to address the disproportionate exposure to and burden of harmful environmental conditions experienced by low-income and racial/ethnic minority populations. The social environment can be a critical factor to promote physical activity in low-income populations.
