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Physical Activity Facilitators and Barriers Among Retired Women in North Carolina: A Qualitative Study.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND Women are less likely than men to be physically active and more likely to reduce their physical activity as they age. The objective of this research was to understand barriers that might prevent North Carolina women from being physically active after retirement as well as aspects of retirement that might facilitate a more physically active lifestyle to inform intervention strategies applicable to retired women.METHOD Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 recently retired women living in North Carolina. Interviews were recorded and transcribed. Content analysis was used to identify themes related to barriers and facilitators of physical activity after retirement.RESULTS Six themes were identified. One theme was the development of leisure-time physical activity habits over the lifespan. Five other themes described how physical activity after retirement was influenced by prior occupational physical activity, concurrent life transitions (e.g., becoming a caregiver), health, social support, and the community environment.LIMITATIONS Women in this study were active participants in community organizations, which might make their experiences unique from those of women who are not engaged with their communities. However, similarities in themes in this and other qualitative studies corroborate the broader transferability of findings.CONCLUSION Interventions to promote physical activity among retired North Carolina women should consider emphasizing health benefits of physical activity and improving walking environments and access to physical activity facilities. Local residents should be involved in intervention design to address unique barriers among women who retire from physically demanding jobs or become caregivers.

SUBMITTER: Jones SA

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8114156 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundPeople living with HIV (PLWH) have low levels of physical activity. Using the social ecological model to understand perceptions, facilitators and barriers of physical activity in this population is of importance for developing contextualised interventions to improve physical activity in PLWH.MethodThis was a qualitative sub-study conducted between august and November 2019 as part of a cohort study on diabetes and associated complications in HIV infected in Mwanza, Tanzania. Sixteen in-depth interviews and three focus groups with nine participants in each were conducted. The interviews and focus groups were audio recorded, transcribed and translated into English. The social ecological model was considered during the coding and interpretation of the results. Transcripts were discussed, coded and analyzed using deductive content analysis.ResultsForty-three PLWH aged 23-61 years participated in this study. The findings showed that most PLWH perceived physical activity as beneficial to their health. However, their perceptions of physical activity were rooted within existing gender stereotypes and roles in the community. Running and playing football were perceived as activities for men while household chores activities were for women. Further, men were perceived to do more physical activity than women. For women, household chores and income-generating activities were perceived as sufficient physical activity. Social support and engagement of family members and friends in physical activity were reported as facilitators of physical activity. Reported barriers of physical activity were lack of time, money, availability of physical activity facilities and social support groups, and poor information on physical activity from health care providers in HIV clinics. Human-immunodeficiency virus (HIV) HIV infection was not perceived by PLWH as a barrier for doing physical activity but most family members did not support them to do physical activity, fearing that it might worsen their condition.ConclusionThe findings demonstrated differing perceptions, facilitators and barriers of physical activity among PLWH. Interventions addressing awareness, gender stereotypes and roles related to physical activity from individual to community level are needed. Supportive environment and infrastructures are needed to improve physical activity levels in PLWH in Tanzania.

Project description:BackgroundPhysical activity (PA) has many benefits in preventing diseases and maintaining physical and mental health. Women, in particular, can benefit from regular PA. However, women's PA did not increase over the past decade globally, and the situations faced by women are often gender-specific. Healthy young adult women's PA does not receive as much attention as older women and adolescent girls, yet, they face the same situation of low level of PA. This review aims to explore and synthesise the self-identified barriers and facilitators to young adult women's participation in PA from qualitative research studies and offer suggestions for future studies and programs designed for this population.MethodsA systematic search was conducted in Pubmed, Web of Science, Scopus, Medline, and SPORTDiscus for studies published between January 2000 to February 2022 to identify qualitative studies on the barriers and facilitators of young adult women's PA between ages 18 to 40. The search yielded 694 studies initially, of which 23 were included. The research quality of included studies was appraised using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) tool. Data were extracted and thematically analysed based on the tenets of the social-ecological model (SEM).ResultsIdentified barriers and facilitators were grouped into different levels of the SEM, with the most frequently cited factors being time, body image and societal beauty standards, family duty and social support, religious and cultural norms, organisation and community facilities and environment, safety issues and physical environment. Descriptive data were thematically analysed and synthesised in line with the five levels: body image, health and beauty; multiple roles, support, and PA; religious identity, cultural identity, and PA; safety issues and women's fears.ConclusionsThis qualitative synthesis revealed in-depth information on barriers and facilitators influencing young adult women's PA. It highlighted that the factors young adult women face are diverse at different levels yet holistic and intertwined. Future studies on young adult women's PA should address the social-cultural influence and would benefit from applying multilevel strategies employing the SEM model. It is critical to create an open and inclusive environment and offer more opportunities for women.Trial registrationPROSPERO CRD42021290519.

Project description:BackgroundOver the past decade several physical activity (PA) interventions have been shown to be efficacious in a controlled research setting, however there is a continued lack of evidence for how to successfully implement these PA interventions in real-world settings such as the community. This review aims to explore the barriers and facilitators that affect the implementation of community-based PA interventions and make recommendations to improve implementation from the included studies.MethodsA systematic literature search of EBSCOhost, Scopus, PUBMED and Web of Science was conducted to identify articles that reported qualitative data on the implementation factors of community-based interventions where PA was a primary outcome. Data were extracted using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) as a guide. Implementation factors and recommendations were then mapped onto the 5 domains of the CFIR and synthesised thematically.ResultsFrom 495 articles, a total of 13 eligible studies were identified, with 6 studies using a mixed methods approach, and 7 reporting qualitative methods only. There were 82 implementation factors identified, including 37 barriers and 45 facilitators, and a further 26 recommendations from the papers across all 5 domains of the CFIR. More barriers than facilitators were identified within the CFIR domain inner setting, in contrast to all other domains where facilitator numbers outweighed barriers.ConclusionsThis review identified many facilitators and barriers of implementing physical activity interventions in the community. A key finding of this review was the impact of implementation strategies on successful implementation of community PA interventions. From the evidence, it was clear that many barriers to implementation could have been negated or reduced by an implementation plan in which several strategies are embedded. The findings of this review also suggest more attention to individual' skills and involvement is needed to improve self-efficacy and knowledge. The role of individuals across all organisational levels, from providers to leaders, can impact on the implementation of an intervention and its success.Trial registrationPROSPERO - CRD42020153821 .

Project description:BackgroundPregnancy causes physiological changes to the maternal organ systems that can be regarded as a cardiometabolic stress test for women. Preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication characterized by new onset of hypertension in combination with proteinuria or end-organ dysfunction, affects approximately 2-8% of pregnancies. Adverse pregnancy outcomes, including preeclampsia, have been described as a failed stress test and have been consistently linked with increased risk of cardiovascular disease later in life. The postpartum period is therefore often regarded as a window of opportunity for cardiovascular disease prevention. However, we lack knowledge about how women with preeclampsia experience current postpartum care in the Norwegian health system. The aim of this qualitative study is to uncover women's perspectives and preferences regarding postpartum follow-up.MethodsSemi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with 17 women following a six-month lifestyle intervention study. Participants were 9-20 months postpartum, following a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. Data were analyzed using Malterud's systematic text condensation.ResultsWe identified five themes, each with 2-3 subthemes, that demonstrate how women with recent preeclampsia experience postpartum follow-up: (1) fear and uncertainty (a body out of balance and facing an uncertain future), (2) a conversation on lifestyle - not really that difficult (preeclampsia as a gateway, a respectful approach, and a desire for more constructive feedback), (3) when your own health is not a priority (a new everyday life, out of focus, and lack of support), (4) motivation for lifestyle changes (an eye opener, lack of intrinsic motivation, and a helping hand), and (5) lack of structured and organized follow-up (there should be a proper system, a one-sided follow-up care, and individual variation in follow-up care).ConclusionsFindings from this study highlight the need for more systematic postpartum follow-up for women after a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. Further research is required to explore the potential use of standardized guidelines and routine invitations to postpartum care. Furthermore, exploring health care professionals' experiences is crucial to ensure their engagement in postpartum care after complicated pregnancies.

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Physical Activity Facilitators and Barriers Among Retired Women in North Carolina: A Qualitative Study.

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