Barriers to physical activity for father's living in marginalising conditions.

Gabriela Gonzalez Montaner,Francine E Darroch,Jessica M Webb,John L Oliffe

doi:10.1177/13634593211014275

Gabriela Gonzalez Montaner, Francine E Darroch + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1177/13634593211014275

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Abstract

Physical activity can be a conduit for improving men's social connectedness as well as physical gains for well-being. However, marginalised men, and fathers in particular, can be challenged to engage in leisure time physical activity. This qualitative study reports how fathers, who experience complex and significant social and health inequities, conceptualise and experience barriers to physical activity. Drawing from focus groups with 17 fathers, and semi-structured interviews with seven service providers about their perspectives on men's physical activity in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside (DTES), a highly marginalised neighbourhood. A masculinities framework was used to describe and contextualise physical activity in fathers' lives. Three themes were inductively derived through the analyses: (1) 'they're busy surviving' a finding referencing the work and limits invoked by poverty wherein survival was triaged ahead of leisure time physical activity; (2) 'there is no activity centre' chronicling the lack of physical activity spaces, programmes and resources available to fathers; and (3) 'lifestyle affects our capability to exercise' a theme detailing how social isolation amplified by factors including housing and opioid crises, and being a father in a resource poor setting imposed significant barriers to physical activity. The findings support reconceptualising physical activity programmes with men who are living in marginalising conditions to address behavioural and structural health inequities in tailoring father-centred programmes and resources.

Highlights

Men’s reticence for self-health and health promotion programmes continues to be a prominent issue (Oliffe, 2015)
Physical activity is inclusive of all muscular movement with an increase in energy expenditure (World Health Organization [WHO], n.d.); leisure time physical activity is more precisely defined as behaviours consciously aimed at improving physical fitness and not essential to activities for daily life (Moore et al, 2012)
The current article and analyses describe the barriers to physical activity for fathers in the Downtown Eastside (DTES), we drew on data from two father focus groups (n = 17) and key informant semi-structured individual interviews (n = 7)

Summary

Introduction

Men’s reticence for self-health and health promotion programmes continues to be a prominent issue (Oliffe, 2015). The literature points to various broad influences on men’s physical activity levels, including intra-personal, social and environmental factors (Sallis and Owen, 1999). Both income (The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2008) and parenthood (Hull et al, 2010; Rhodes et al, 2014) are examples of factors known to impact men’s physical activity. Low income groups consistently show lower levels of physical activity (The Health and Social Care Information Centre, 2008). Chronic illnesses that can be offset with physical activity disproportionately affect low income males (Royal College of Physicians, 2004)

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Discussion

Conclusion