A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Enablers of Physical Activity among Female Emirati University Students.

Nicola W Burton,Asaduzzaman Khan,Bonnie L Barber

doi:10.3390/ijerph18073380

Abstract

Interventions to promote physical activity participation should reflect social and culturally relevant influences of the target demographic. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of barriers to and enablers of physical activity participation among female Emirati university students. Five semi-structured focus groups were conducted (n = 25). Participants were asked open-ended questions about benefits, barriers and enablers of physical activity, and recommendations to promote participation. Emergent themes were identified using Nvivo software. Commonly identified benefits included improved health, weight management, improved mood, and stress reduction. The main barriers were low family support, competing time demands from domestic and academic activities, lack of convenient access to women-only facilities, and hot weather. The main enablers and recommendations related to social support from family and friends, accessible and low-cost women-only facilities, and structured supervised sessions. Findings suggest that there are specific social-cultural influences of physical activity among female Emirati university students. Approaches to promote participation could include identifying benefits consistent with family and cultural values, using social media for education, support and modelling, on campus supervised physical activity sessions integrated with the academic timetable, low-cost women-only opportunities in the local residential area, and support for home-based activities.

Highlights

It is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) that adults do at least 150 min per week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity, or at least 75 min of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activities [4]
After the fifth focus group discussions (FGDs), it was decided that a saturation point had been reached as no new themes had emerged
A recent review of published physical activity interventions in the Arabic-speaking region concluded that culture is critical to success [49], and our research suggests some key sociocultural components such as aligning physical activity benefits and participation with cultural norms and values; use of social media for education and modelling; providing support for home-based exercise; and creating local, affordable, gender-segregated opportunities for physical activity

Summary

Introduction

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. Physical activity is associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, colon cancer, gestational diabetes, ischemic heart disease, and ischemic stroke [1]. Physical activity is associated with a range of psychological health benefits including reduced risk of depression, anxiety and stress, as well as improved mood [2,3]. It is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) that adults do at least 150 min per week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity, or at least 75 min of vigorous intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, or an equivalent combination of moderate and vigorous intensity activities [4]

Objectives

Discussion

Conclusion