Low-income women's perceived barriers to physical activity: focus group results

Abstract 

Physical inactivity is a modifiable risk factor for heart disease. With heart disease as the leading cause of death in women, barriers to physical activity require exploration. Low-income women are the least likely to be physically active. The purpose of this study was to explore perceived barriers to physical activity in low-income women. Focus group methodology and content analysis were used to identify 16 perceived barriers in 14 participants of the study. The top barriers were: fatigue, culture, health problems, absence of child care, and lack of encouragement. These findings have implications for physical activity interventions with low-income women.