Perceived Barriers to Physical Activity among Adult Lesbians

2008 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 68-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danielle R. Brittain ◽  
Nancy C. Gyurcsik ◽  
Mary McElroy

Despite the health benefits derived from regular participation in moderate physical activity, the majority of adult lesbians are not physically active. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between moderate physical activity and the perceived presence and extent of limitation of 30 general and 10 lesbian-specific barriers. The participants were 516 self-identified adult lesbians who completed a web-based survey. Compared to physically active participants, participants who were insufficiently active reported more general barriers and a significantly higher extent of limitation of general and lesbian-specific barriers overall. Insufficiently active participants also differed in the perceived presence of one of the five most frequently experienced barriers and in the extent of limitation of three of those five barriers. The study’s findings suggest that the impact of barriers may be alleviated through the use of appropriately tailored strategies to help lesbians cope with them. Future research should further examine whether lesbians experience additional population-specific barriers.

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 408-417 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miranda A. Cary ◽  
Danielle R. Brittain ◽  
Mary K. Dinger ◽  
Melissa L. Ford ◽  
Meagan Cain ◽  
...  

Gay men may not be physically active at recommended levels to achieve health benefits. Thus, a need exists to identify general (i.e., common across populations) and population-specific barriers that hinder or stop gay men from participating in physical activity (PA). Salient barriers may be identified through the extent each barrier limits PA (i.e., barrier limitation) and the level of one’s confidence to overcome barriers and engage in PA (i.e., self-regulatory efficacy). The purposes of this study were to (1) provide a description of general and population-specific barriers to PA among sufficiently and insufficiently active gay men, (2) identify barrier limitation and self-regulatory efficacy for the reported barriers, and (3) examine the associations between meeting the current PA recommendation, barrier limitation, and self-regulatory efficacy. Participants were 108 self-identified gay males aged 21 to 64 years who completed a web-based survey. A total of 35 general barriers and no population-specific barriers were identified by the sufficiently and insufficiently active groups. The sufficiently active group reported higher self-regulatory efficacy and lower barrier limitation for nearly all reported barriers. A binary logistic regression used to examine the associations between PA, barrier limitation, and self-regulatory efficacy was statistically significant, χ2(2, N = 108) = 19.26, p < .0001, R2 = .16. Only barrier limitation significantly contributed to the model. Future research should continue to examine barriers to PA among gay men to determine whether an intervention needs to be designed specifically for gay men or whether a one-size-fits-all intervention would be effective in helping all men overcome common barriers to engaging in PA.


2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 404-409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katie M. Heinrich ◽  
Jay Maddock ◽  
Adrian Bauman

Background:Despite clear health benefits of physical activity, previous research has been limited in linking knowledge of physical activity recommendations to actual behavior.Methods:Using Expectancy Theory, we examined whether an individual’s health outcome expectancies from physical activity might provide the missing link between knowledge and behavior. With data from a cross-sectional survey, we assessed differences between how much moderate physical activity people thought they needed for health benefits compared with what they thought experts recommended and the relationship of these differences to physical activity behaviors.Results:Our hypothesis that people with positive health outcome expectancies would report more minutes of physical activity than those with neutral or negative health outcome expectancies was supported for all self-reported physical activity behaviors (P < .001).Conclusions:It appears that the health outcome expectancy of needing more physical activity than recommended by experts is correlated with achieving more physical activity, regardless of type. Future research should address health outcome expectancies as a way to impact physical activity.


2009 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 362-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cassandra Phoenix ◽  
Bevan Grant

In this article, the authors consider the different approaches that can be used to examine the relationship between physical activity and aging. They propose that much is to be gained in our awareness of this dynamic relationship by drawing on multiple forms of knowledge that can generate diverse understandings regarding the impact of physical activity on physiological, psychological, and social aspects of aging. Accordingly, 3 different approaches to understanding the older physically (in)active body are presented. These are categorized as (a) the objective truth about the aging, physically active body; (b) the subjective truth about the aging, physically active body; and (c) “tales” about the aging, physically active body. The key underpinnings, strengths, and weaknesses of each approach are outlined. A number of examples from the literature are also offered to demonstrate where and how each approach has been used to contribute to our understanding about older people and physical activity. The more thorough, multidisciplinary, and wide spanning our knowledge of the aging, active body is, the more informed we might become in every dimension of its existence.


Author(s):  
Garrett Scott Bullock ◽  
Nirmala Perera ◽  
Andrew Murray ◽  
John Orchard ◽  
Nigel A Arden ◽  
...  

Summarising and synthesising the evidence on cricket health and wellbeing can help inform cricket stakeholders and navigate future research directions. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between cricket participation, health and wellbeing at all ages and playing standards, and identify research gaps in the existing literature. A scoping review was performed from inception to March, 2020. Studies were included if they assessed a construct related to health and/or wellbeing in cricketers, available in English. 219 articles were eligible. Injury incidence per 1,000 player exposures ranged from 1.8-5.7 injuries. 48% of former cricketers experienced persistent joint pain. However, former cricketers reported greater physical activity levels and mental-components of quality of life compared to the general population. Heat injury/illness and skin cancer are concerns and require further research. Cricket participation is associated with an inherent injury risk, which may have negative implications for musculoskeletal health in later life. However, cricket participation is associated with high quality of life which can persist after retirement. Gaps in the literature include prospective studies on health and wellbeing of cricketers, female cricketers, injury prevention strategies, and the impact of cricket participation on metabolic health and lifetime physical activity.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 176-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
John C. Spence ◽  
Chris M. Blanchard ◽  
Marianne Clark ◽  
Ronald C. Plotnikoff ◽  
Kate E. Storey ◽  
...  

Background:The purposes of this study were to determine if a) gender moderated the relationship between self-efficacy and physical activity (PA) among youth in Alberta, Canada, and, alternatively b) if self-efficacy mediated the relationship between gender and PA.Methods:A novel web-based tool was used to survey a regionally diverse sample of 4779 students (boys = 2222, girls = 2557) from 117 schools in grades 7 to 10 (mean age = 13.64 yrs.). Among other variables, students were asked about their PA and self-efficacy for participating in PA.Results:Based upon a series of multilevel analyses, self-efficacy was found to be a significantly stronger correlate of PA for girls. But, boys had significantly higher self-efficacy compared with girls, which resulted in significantly more PA.Conclusions:Findings suggest self-efficacy is an important correlate of PA among adolescent girls but that boys are more physically active because they have more self-efficacy for PA.


Author(s):  
Armani Hawes ◽  
Genee Smith ◽  
Emma McGinty ◽  
Caryn Bell ◽  
Kelly Bower ◽  
...  

Significant racial disparities in physical activity—a key protective health factor against obesity and cardiovascular disease—exist in the United States. Using data from the 1999–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the 2000 United States (US) Census, we estimated the impact of race, individual-level poverty, neighborhood-level poverty, and neighborhood racial composition on the odds of being physically active for 19,678 adults. Compared to whites, blacks had lower odds of being physically active. Individual poverty and neighborhood poverty were associated with decreased odds of being physically active among both whites and blacks. These findings underscore the importance of social context in understanding racial disparities in physical activity and suggest the need for future research to determine specific elements of the social context that drive disparities.


2021 ◽  
Vol 90 (2) ◽  
pp. 157-162
Author(s):  
Leonardo Gomes de Oliveira Luz ◽  
Marcos de Sá Rego Fortes ◽  
Geraldo de Albuquerque Maranhão Neto

Introduction: A coronavirus epidemic began in November 2019 (COVID-19) in the Chinese city of Wuhan. However, the current scenario shows the coexistence of other pandemics, the insufficient physical activity level and obesity, the effect of this combination tends to enhance the complications attributed to coronavirus infection. In this scenario, among other strategies to combat COVID-19, social distancing, and active lifestyle compatible with a healthy immune function are recommended. Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse the impact of COVID-19 pandemic over the populational habitual physical activity and recommend the inclusion of a physical exercise routine in your daily life. Conclusion: Moderate physical activity is indicated in order to meet the recent recommendations of the World Health Organization and to optimize the immune response. Therefore, the daily physical exercise should be included, especially at home in longer periods of social distancing.


2017 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
pp. 233372141770235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aili I. Breda ◽  
Amber S. Watts

Objective: The present study examined how expectations regarding aging (ERA) influence physical activity participation and physical function. Method: We surveyed 148 older adults about their ERA (ERA-38), health-promoting lifestyles (HPLP-II), and self-rated health (RAND-36). We tested the mediating effect of physical activity on the relationships between ERA and physical function. Results: Positive expectations were associated with more engagement in physical activity ( B = 0.016, p < .05) and better physical function ( B = 0.521, p < .01). Physical activity mediated the relationship between ERA and physical function ( B = 5.890, p < .01, indirect effect 0.092, CI = [0.015, 0.239]). Discussion: ERA play an important role in adoption of physically active lifestyles in older adults and may influence health outcomes, such as physical function. Future research should evaluate whether attempts to increase physical activity are more successful when modifications to ERA are also targeted.


2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph J Murphy ◽  
Catherine B Woods ◽  
Marie H Murphy ◽  
Niamh Murphy ◽  
Neal Byrne ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Increasing proportions of the global population transition through a university setting, a setting associated with engagement in behaviors that diminish health such as high levels of physical inactivity. Increasing physical activity (PA) is a key element of health promotion strategies in many countries, but a better understanding of students’ PA and how it is associated with personal, behavioral, and environmental factors is needed. Studies provide protocols to collect information regarding these factors separately; however, none have developed a validated systematic approach to gather information pertaining to all across a whole country. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this project is to examine students’ physical activity and how it is associated with personal, behavioral, and environmental factors. METHODS Student Activity and Sport Study Ireland (SASSI) is a university-based cross-sectional study that was carried out across the island of Ireland in 2014. A novel and comprehensive Web-based environmental audit tool (EAT) gathered information pertaining to the environment provided by universities for physical activity. A Web-based student survey (SS) collected information about physical activity beliefs, attitudes, motivations, and behaviors of students. The audit tool and SS were developed through rigorous consultation processes involving international experts. An institutional champion volunteered at each university to recruit, administer, and ensure the completion of both assessments. RESULTS Data collection was undertaken between May and December 2014. A total of 80% (33/41) of universities completed the EAT, whereas 88.31% (8122/9197) of students (49.10% [3966/8122] male; mean 23.17 [SD 6.75], years) completed the SS sufficiently. Studies are currently underway with the data collected using this protocol. CONCLUSIONS SASSI provides a novel and comprehensive protocol for systematically assessing the PA of students and the related personal, behavioral, and actual environmental factors. The strengths of the SASSI study are presented and include high response rates and a unique dataset that can provide information to relevant stakeholders and policy makers, along with aiding the development of university environments and interventions that promote PA involvement. The weaknesses of the protocol are recognized with suggestions given to overcome them in future research. This protocol is applicable for other countries and has great potential to create harmonization of data, which would allow for direct comparisons across nations. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPOR RR1-10.2196/10823


Author(s):  
Barbara Fenesi ◽  
Jeffrey D. Graham ◽  
Madeline Crichton ◽  
Michelle Ogrodnik ◽  
Jasmyn Skinner

Adolescence represents a sensitive period whereby lifestyle factors such as physical activity can have profound, long-lasting effects on development and later life habits. However, adolescence constitutes a period of frequent sedentary behaviour. Among children, integrating physical activity into elementary school classrooms has been shown to reduce sedentary behaviour and improve academic achievement and overall physical and mental health. However, this promising area of research has not extended to adolescents and high school classrooms. In this paper, we describe the benefits of conducting research on the impact of physically active high school classrooms, and highlight the challenges and potential misconceptions associated with research in this field. Specifically, we review research on the role of physical activity in adolescent development, the benefits of classroom-based physical activity for children, and discuss the factors that may have led researchers to focus on classroom-based physical activity primarily for children, despite the potentially similar benefits for adolescents.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document