Meaningful components of a community-based exercise program for individuals with disabilities: A qualitative study

Area of Science:

• Disability Studies
• Rehabilitation Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Effective evaluation of community-based exercise interventions for individuals with disabilities is crucial for promoting physical activity and health.
• Program heterogeneity in populations, interventions, and outcomes hinders evidence generation for best practices.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the goals and benefits of community-based exercise for individuals with disabilities.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to program evaluation within community settings.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants and staff of a community-based exercise program for individuals with disabilities.
• Thematic and deductive content analysis were used to code interview responses, linking them to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) domains.

Main Results:

• Identified goals and benefits aligned with ICF domains, including improved strength, endurance, general health, self-efficacy, and community participation.
• Staff identified barriers to evaluation such as balancing evaluation with service delivery, negative attitudes, data access issues, and scheduling inconsistencies.

Conclusions:

• Enhancing evaluation methods in community-based exercise programs for individuals with disabilities can improve program quality and impact.
• Findings provide insights for optimizing program evaluation to better serve this population.