A Qualitative Exploration of Facilitators and Barriers to Physical Activity Participation among Chinese Retired Adults in Hong Kong

The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers associated with physical activity participation among retired Chinese adults in Hong Kong. This study adopts an interview research design in order to generate an in-depth understanding and insights into the participants' though...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal of environmental research and public health 2022-03, Vol.19 (6), p.3495
Main Authors: Huang, Ying, Ng, Oi-Lam, Ha, Amy S C
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Adults
Chronic illnesses
Exercise
Exercise - psychology
Hong Kong
Humans
Intervention
Interviews
Lifestyles
Mental health
Mortality
Motivation
Obesity
Older people
Participation
Physical activity
Physical fitness
Population
Qualitative Research
Questionnaires
Research design
Retirement
Walking
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Summary:The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers associated with physical activity participation among retired Chinese adults in Hong Kong. This study adopts an interview research design in order to generate an in-depth understanding and insights into the participants' thoughts, motivators and experiences of physical activity participation. Independent, semi-structured interviews with 10 retired participants (aged 54-74) were conducted based on an interview protocol with open-ended questions prompting the participants to describe their experiences. Transcribed texts were analysed using thematic analysis, combining both deductive and inductive analysis techniques. Common physical activities reported were walking, stretching exercise and jogging/running. Participants responded that their physical activity level increased since their retirement. We report the interview results according to the themes which emerged from the analysis: (1) physical and mental health, (2) socio-emotional factors, (3) environmental context, (4) family responsibilities. We found that the themes (1), (2) and (3) act either as a facilitator or a barrier for the participants interviewed, while theme (4) family responsibilities act as a barrier. The findings suggested that future physical activity interventions for retired Chinese adults should include more physical activity knowledge, such as the benefits to physical and mental health brought by physical activity and social elements, considering the specific challenges that participants are confronted with (from the family side).
ISSN:1660-4601
1661-7827
1660-4601
DOI:10.3390/ijerph19063495