Cleaner Home May Equal Fitter Body

An Indiana University study finds higher physical activity levels may be linked to how the inside of a person’s home looks. The study involved nearly 1,000 adults ages 49 to 65 who lived in St. Louis and were participating in the African American Health longitudinal study. NiCole Keith, PhD, an associate professor in the physical education department at Indiana University, notes that blacks are disproportionally affected by cardiovascular disease and its risk factors, which physical activity can help reduce. The study used a combination of self-assessments and objective assessments to determine the participants’ perception of their neighborhood and their residences. Researchers rated the interior and exterior of the participants’ home and immediate vicinity, including cleanliness, furnishings, noise, air quality, and the condition of the home and nearby buildings, among other items. “If you spend your day dusting, cleaning, doing laundry, you’re active,” Keith notes. “This will inform interventions. They won’t take 30 minutes to go for a walk, but they’ll take 30 minutes to clean.”