Participation Patterns of Exercise among People with Disabilities in South Korea : Emphasis on 2014 and 2017 Survey Data

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Although many studies have reported that physical activity (PA) and exercise have significant positive effects on various health aspects, very few have classified persons by their disability types and investigated PA participation patterns, along with obstacle factors. This study aimed to analyze and compare exercise participation patterns and obstacle factors by classifying a large sample of Koreans with various disability types. Methods/Statistical analysis: Data on regular exercise participation patterns and barriers to participation were collected in 2014 and 2017 from 11,815 persons with disabilities (ages 0–99 years) residing in South Korea. A chi-square test was used to examine differences in the subjects’ evaluation of health status, weekly exercise frequency, preferred place, and reasons for non-participation. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed for comparing exercise time per session, and post-hoc analysis was used to confirm differences based on disability types. Findings: The analysis showed significantly different response rates based on the disability type for subjective health status, regular exercise participation, reasons for non-participation, weekly exercise frequency, and preferred exercise place (p .05). Improvements/Applications: In conclusion, regardless of the disability types, the regular exercise participation rate of people with disabilities was significantly lower than that of healthy adults in South Korea. Additionally, this is a basic study confirming that exercise participation patterns and obstacles differ depending on the type of disability. Accordingly, future public health policies should closely identify the characteristics of each type of disability to help promote PA for all.