Ethnic Differences in Health-Related Quality of Life, Physical Activity, and Health Locus of Control.

This research aimed to better understand the differences in health-related quality of life (HRQoL: general health, physical functioning), physical activity (PA), and health locus of control (HLOC: internal, external-chance, external-powerful others, God) among various ethnic groups. The study's sample included 185 individuals, 22 - 81 years of age, who were attending or employed by one of three religiously-affiliated higher education institutions during the 2020-2021 academic year. Participants voluntarily answered questions about their ethnic identity, HRQoL, PA level, and HLOC. To analyze the interaction of HRQoL, PA, and HLOC, a multiple regression analysis was conducted. Results showed the majority of respondents of all ethnicities had moderate to high levels of PA, which is opposite of CDC data. However, the scores for HLOC and HRQoL varied widely among ethnicities, with minority groups showing higher scores for external HLOC categories (chance, powerful others, God), as well as lower scores for both HRQoL categories (general health, physical functioning). Such differences call for better understanding of HLOC and HRQoL in different ethnic groups, which would allow for better tailoring of health education and promotion programming.