Promoting Physical Activity In Rural Men: A Needs Assessment Of Rural Men For A Physical Activity Program

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Rural men have higher rates of chronic diseases and are less active than their urban counterparts. Rural men are also underrepresented in physical activity intervention research. This suggests a need for programs tailored to the unique needs of rural men. The aim of this study is to better understand rural men’s preferences for physical activity programs. METHODS: Rural men (N = 131) were invited to complete a needs assessment survey via Amazon’s Mechanical Turk online survey system. Men were asked to rank on a scale of 1 (dislike a great deal) to 5 (like a great deal) various channels of receiving information, such as preferences in delivery platforms and who delivers that information. Men were also asked to select behavior change techniques they would find helpful in a physical activity program (e.g., educational content, demonstrations, encouragement). Lastly, men selected preferred program foci including modes of exercise, health behaviors, and targeted health benefits. RESULTS: The most preferred channels of receiving information were YouTube (mean = 4.1) web (3.7), and mobile apps (3.7). Men rated fitness professionals as the most preferred person to deliver an exercise demonstration video (4.3). Demonstrations/instructions on how to exercise (selected by 75.6%), information on the benefits of physical activity (68.9%), and encouragement to be physically active (67.8%) were the top behavior change techniques selected. In addition, 80.9% reported they wanted an exercise program that had a strength component. Men selected they wanted a program to also focus on diet/eating (selected by 58.8%), sleep (53.4%), and mood/mental health (51.1%). CONCLUSION: We intend to apply this information to develop an intervention tailored to rural men’s unique and specific physical activity needs. We anticipate this program will feature YouTube videos with fitness professionals delivering exercise demonstration videos. This project was funded by a grant from the Graduate and Professional Student Government.