Exploring the social conditions of physical activity participation amongst rural South Australian women: A qualitative study

Australian women are less likely to participate in recommended levels of weekly physical activity compared with men. Physical activity participation rates decrease with geographical remoteness. Research suggests that a lack of social support mechanisms within the home environment may act as a barrier for rural women to engage in physical activity, along with discomfort experienced within exercise environments. The purpose of this study was to explore the social conditions that facilitate or inhibit physical activity participation amongst women from two rural South Australian communities.

A qualitative descriptive approach underpinned by a phenomenological methodological orientation was applied. Participants were recruited using a purposive sampling strategy before semi-structured interviews (N = 16) were conducted and prepared for thematic analysis.

Four inter-related themes were identified: support from others, time, expectations and available opportunities. Further contextual analysis revealed interwoven notions of physical activity spaces, time and social context within the themes.

Multiple types of regulators interact to shape the motivational pattern of an individual. The themes identified align with self-determination, transactional and structuration theory, suggesting a need to consider human behaviour both pragmatically and conceptually. SO WHAT?: Results provide insight into social barriers and facilitators for physical activity participation and concomitantly provide the initial development of a framework for local strategic planning of health-promoting activities, and individual reflection to increase physical activity participation amongst rural women.