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Barriers to physical activity11/17/2023 Recognizing the global chronic disease burden related to physical inactivity, the WHO created a global target to reduce physical inactivity rates by 10% by 2025 and 15% by 2030. Furthermore, physical inactivity is estimated to be associated with $117 billion dollars of annual health care costs in the United States alone. Alarmingly, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that over one-quarter of adults across the globe are not meeting physical activity guidelines. Physical inactivity is one of the main risk factors of preventable chronic diseases. Tailoring community-based programs to address specific barriers and motivators may enable more participants to effectively change and maintain PA. Future research should examine how reported barriers and motivators are related to program completion and adherence. Findings highlight the importance of understanding participant barriers and motivators for PA before starting a program. Additional motivators (n = 282) identified included stress relief and mental health (n = 82), social time (n = 70), dog care (n = 41), other health benefits (n = 38), connect with nature (n = 19), enjoyment (14), occupation (n = 11), and environmental and community supports (n = 6). Good weather, health, and weight loss were frequently reported motivators. Open-ended responses (n = 141) identified additional barriers of lack of motivation (n = 37), joint issues (n = 29), fatigue (n = 24), safety or lack of environmental supports (n = 17), family or work demands (n = 15), and lacking a walking partner (n = 9). Poor weather and time were frequently reported barriers to walking. On average, participants were white (96%), middle-aged (52 ± 13 years old) females (92%). Open-ended responses were analyzed using thematic analysis. Chi-square tests were used to assess differences in the barrier and reinforcement responses between participant’s PA level and age categories. ![]() Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, barriers, reinforcements, and current PA. Four years of baseline data from a community-based walking program were analyzed (n = 1491). This study provides a broader understanding of barriers and motivators of walking prior to starting a walking program. There is a need to further understand why adults do and do not participate in walking. Because of its safety and ease, walking is a promising population-level strategy to increase PA. ![]() Despite the clear benefits of an active lifestyle, most American adults fail to meet physical activity (PA) guidelines.
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