Abstract
Background The aim of the study was to determine the level of physical activity of young mothers living in rural and urban areas and their free time budget, as well as to indicate motivating factors and barriers encountered during physical activity. Methods In the study a diagnostic survey method was applied, including two survey IPAQ questionnaires – the long version and author’s questionnaire. A representative sample consisted of 1 064 young mothers giving birth in 2017. Student T test and discriminate function analysis were used in statistical analysis. Results The level of physical activity of young mothers from rural areas did not differ from that of young mothers from urban areas. However, certain differences appeared while taking into account different aspects of physical activity. The main motives for participation in physical activity of young mothers from rural areas were to improve their physical condition and reduce pain complaints. Young mothers from towns emphasized such motives as strengthening self-confidence and improving their position in the family. While the main barriers for both group of respondents in physical activity were the lack of money and interest in occasional events. Conclusions The main conclusion that arise from the study is to need to make efforts which aim to reduce the burden of daily duties of young mothers, strengthen family support, strengthen material status of young families, eliminate barriers related to infrastructure especially of villages in order to facilitate the access to physical activity, raise awareness among population on the importance of health education, create specialized educational programs to promote healthy lifestyle, and finally, to introduce systematic monitoring in order to understand determinants of physical activity of young mothers.