Barriers and facilitators to physical activity

Background: Certain priority populations are disproportionately less likely to meet physical activity guidelines. Community recreation centres may provide accessible, supportive environments for physical activity for all. Limited research exists concerning priority populations’ experiences of these settings and their perceptions of how inclusion and accessibility can be enhanced. Purpose: This qualitative study sought in-depth insights from priority populations (women, older adults, ethnic minorities, persons living with disabilities/additional needs, individuals identifying as LGBTQIA+, low socio-economic position) regarding their experiences of recreation centres and strategies for improving accessibility and inclusion. Methods: From 2021-2022, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with adult priority population users of recreation centres in a Melbourne municipality. Participants were prompted to discuss their experiences at the centres and recommend strategies for enhancing inclusion and accessibility. Data were analysed using content analysis. Results: Most participants had favourable views of the facilities and programs at the centres as they suited their preferences. They also recommended ways for improving the culture and changing communications to optimise inclusion and accessibility. Key suggestions included providing more disabled parking, accessible changing rooms, and a pool hoist; providing communications in multiple languages and signage with enlarged font size with tactile cues; offering a variety of targeted, adapted classes for different priority populations; offering inclusion training for staff; and establishing partnerships. Conclusions: This study adds to critical knowledge regarding priority populations’ recreation centre experiences. For centres that were generally considered as having positive inclusion and accessibility among participants, the results indicated recommendations for further improvement. Practical implications: These results can inform future planning and enhancement of recreation programs, facilities, and services to reflect the priority populations’ needs and reduce inequalities in physical activity opportunities and use of these settings. Funding: This study was funded by YMCA Victoria. KH was supported by a Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship (105929).

Background: Adolescent females are less likely to participate in physical activity (PA) than their male peers. These low levels of PA are likely to persist into adulthood, with negative health consequences. Purpose: This study used qualitative methods to investigate the barriers and enablers to PA in adolescent females from low SES areas in Sydney, Australia. Methods: Semi-structured focus groups were conducted with adolescent females aged between 16-18 years. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with teachers who taught adolescent females. Thematic analysis was used to develop categories and code the transcripts. Results: Results represent data from 9 focus groups, in which 56 females participated, along with 9 teacher interviews. Barriers and enablers were classified into the following 8 themes: Knowledge of health benefits; Academic pressure and school environment; Competing interests; Motivation; Body image and self esteem; Cultural issues; Parental and safety concerns; and Transport and accessibility. Conclusion: Many perceived barriers and enablers to PA were identified by the participants in this study. Potential physical activities/sports that are promoted to older adolescent females need to be safe, social and fun. PA needs to be viewed not as a distraction from study, but as a productive break from study, which can release stress, and facilitate greater focus when returning to study. In addition to this short-term benefit, the longer-term physical and mental health benefits of PA have been well documented. Parents and teachers need to understand these benefits so they can best support their daughters/students to develop life-long healthy PA habits. Practical Implications: Parents and teachers need to understand the benefits of PA in these young females and recognise the barriers so they can best support their daughters/students to develop life-long healthy PA habits.

Background: Family-based physical activity is a potential avenue for physical activity promotion amongst children and their parents. The facilitators and barriers to family-based physical activity, families’ perceptions of the feasibility of family-based physical activity prior to an intervention, and the influence of socioeconomic status (SES) on these, are unknown. Purpose: To determine the perceived facilitators, barriers, and factors affecting the feasibility of family-based physical activity, and how SES influences these variables. Methods: Whole-family focus groups and parent and child interviews were conducted with 24 families (n=79; 37 parents, 42 children), who were categorised into low (deciles 1-3), middle (deciles 4-7), or high (deciles 8-10) SES using the Index of Multiple Deprivation. Focus groups and interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using content analysis, with an inductive and semantic approach. Results: Regardless of SES, parental role modelling was a key facilitator to being physically active whilst high cost, and lack of free time were barriers mentioned by families. There were differences between families based on SES; families from high-middle SES discussed access to local facilities as a facilitator of physical activity, whilst this was a barrier for low SES families. Regardless of SES, when discussing the feasibility of family-based physical activity, differing levels of fitness between children and parents was a factor mentioned across generations. All parents thought family-based physical activity would allow for quality family-time, whilst children expressed that family-based physical activity sessions would feel safe. Conclusion: Family-based physical activity allows for quality family-time and provides a safe environment, but differing levels of fitness between parents and children and cost, should be considered. Furthermore, access to facilities may be a particular barrier for low SES families. Practical Implications: These findings can inform the development of family-based physical activity interventions for families from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds. Funding: N/A

Background Ethnic minority women, particularly those from Black and South Asian backgrounds, exhibit lower levels of physical activity (PA), despite having an increased risk of chronic lifestyle conditions. Therefore, it is essential to identify and explore the potential obstacles that could limit or reduce the integration of PA into their daily routines. Purpose To explore the obstacles hindering ethnic minority women’s engagement in PA. Method After a systematic search across various databases including PUBMED, 13 articles met inclusion criteria and were selected for analysis. These articles focused on adult women (n = 516; aged 20 – 79 years) from diverse ethnic minority backgrounds globally (Afro-Caribbean (n = 40) Pacific Islander (n= 48); African-American (n = 191); Iranian (n = 22); Saudi Arabian (n = 12); Hispanic ( n= 49); and South Asian (n = 54); and all (n = 100),) written in English, qualitative or mixed method primary research studies. The Joanna Briggs Institute critical appraisal checklist was used to evaluate the methodological quality of the studies. Results Nine thematic barriers hindering women’s participation in PA, including “family dynamics”, “social groups” (peers), “safety concerns”, “self-perception or image”, “time constraints”, “cultural beliefs or expectations”, “financial constraints”, “lack of knowledge”, and “health issues”. Time constraints and cultural beliefs or expectations emerged as the most common hindrances, linking with other themes or barriers, and significantly influencing the women’s engagement in PA. Conclusion Women’s engagement in PA is influenced by familial dynamics and societal expectations, with various barriers hindering participation. Addressing these barriers requires comprehensive education and community support to empower women to prioritize their health and overcome obstacles to PA. Practical Implication: Develop targeted strategies or interventions to promote PA and improve overall health outcomes in ethnic minority women to address health inequalities. Funding Conducted as part of an undergraduate project

Background: Specific physical activity behaviors such as sports participation and unstructured play (e.g., outdoor play) are assumed to bring about additional health benefits including increased social integration, teamwork and social skills, emotional control, confidence, discipline, empathy, and emotional well-being. Purpose: To analyze how the parental socioeconomic status (SES) and the parental perception of the environment associates with children’s PA, and observe how those clusters associate with children’s lifestyle and obesity levels. Methods: Cross-sectional data were available for 6887 children aged 3-10-years. Using a questionnaire, parents reported: min/day of children’s PA and screen time, children’s eating patterns, parental perception of the neighborhood, and several socioeconomic measures (e.g., parental education level and occupation, family type, number of card in the family, and children having his/her own bedroom). Anthropometric data were objectively collected. Three PA clusters were revealed – organized PA (OPA), unorganized PA (UPA) and lower PA (LPA) – and analyzed considering family SES, parental perceived neighborhood features, and children’s lifestyle and health indicators. Results: Higher SES was associated with OPA. PA features in the neighborhood increased the odds of OPA while parental perception of walkability features and crime rates were inversely linked with UPA and OPA. Children with LPA also failed to be within the recommendation for daily fruit intake, number of meals/day, and abdominal obesity. Children from the OPA group had higher screen time. Conclusions: Low SES children are more likely not to participate in sports, and children who have LPA are more likely to engage in other worrying behaviors such as lower fruit intake, and display a higher prevalence of abdominal obesity. Practical implications: To design effective interventions, further research is needed to explore more in detail the pathways relating family SES to children’s engagement in different PA behaviors. Funding: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (REF: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016688; 2020.03966.CEECIND).

Background: Encouraging more people to take up active travel (AT) is a priority globally. Presenting the financial benefits for individuals of engaging in AT may encourage uptake. Yet calculating the benefits of AT in terms of individual financial benefits is rarely accurately calculated. Purpose: To develop and describe archetypes informed by active travel stakeholders, and to present the potential individual financial benefits. Methods: In consultation with UK-based active travel stakeholders, a new model for calculating individual financial benefits was developed. Working collaboratively with one stakeholder, three archetypes were developed based on real world scenarios and run through the model to assess the potential savings for these individuals. Results: The three archetypes created were; 1) a working couple with young children; 2) a part time self-employed cleaner and; 3) a regular commuter nearing retirement. For each, the details needed to generate more accurate calculations included the description of the current situation (job status, working location, earnings, type of car and purchase method and spilt trips), proposed AT options (outlays such as purchasing bikes, ebike charging costs, bike maintenance) and potential savings (reduced car usage and parking charges, using this money in other ways such as investing into retirement funds). When these details were placed in the model, each archetype made savings from the switch to AT of between £1,100 to £3,400 per annum. Conclusions: The archetypes provide information of what to consider when creating examples to model the individual financial benefits from changing to AT more accurately. They highlight the complexity and the difference between archetypes that need to be considered when modelling individual financial benefits and suggest large potential savings for some. Practical implications: These archetypes can be used to provide realistic examples of the individual financial benefits of AT for promotion at a policy and individual level. Funding: None