A qualitative exploration of facilitators and barriers to physical activity participation in people with severe mental illness in Taiwan

Autor: Chang-Chih Kuo, Christine A. Pellegrini, Ming-De Chen, Jung-Hsuan I, Tze-Chun Tang
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: Mental Health and Physical Activity. 13:100-107
ISSN: 1755-2966
Popis: Background Identifying factors associated with physical activity participation is critical for developing effective programs for individuals with severe mental illness (SMI). Previous studies have focused on western, developed countries; the purpose of this study was to qualitatively identify physical activity facilitators and barriers in people with SMI in Taiwan. Method Thirty-nine community-dwelling participants participated in one of five focus groups. Semi-structured open-ended questions were asked to identify physical activity barriers and facilitators. Qualitative data was organized and analyzed with thematic analysis using ATLAS.ti. software. Results Participants had a mean age of 42 (SD = 11), were primarily female (51.3%), and had a diagnosis of schizophrenia (84.6%). Five facilitators and five barriers related to physical activity participation in the SMI group were identified. Facilitators included motivation by the health benefits of physical activity, engagement in preferred types of activity, support from family and friends, encouragement from health professionals, and convenient access to exercise equipment and facilities. Barriers included poor health, low self-efficacy, low support from family and friends, fear of negative societal attitudes toward mental illness, and an unsupportive physical environment. Conclusions Factors related to physical activity participation in Taiwanese with SMI are multidimensional and include personal, social and physical environment factors. Future physical activity promotion programs for similar Taiwanese populations with SMI may want to consider targeting multiple levels of influence to help increase physical activity.
Databáze: OpenAIRE