Perceived Barriers for Physical Activity in Overweight and Obese Youth: A Scoping Review

Overweight and obesity among youth represent a critical public health issue, with physical activity (PA) serving as a cornerstone of effective weight management. Despite its significance, youth living with overweight and obesity (YLWOO) often encounter perceived barriers that hinder regular engagement in PA. The objective of this scoping review was to identify the perceived barriers to exercise in YLWOO.

We conducted this scoping review in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodological framework, focusing on youth aged 18-29 years with a Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m² living with overweight or obesity. We subsequently performed a comprehensive search of the literature across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. Finally, we analyzed the extracted data using qualitative content analysis.

Sixty-four studies were included in this scoping review. Qualitative content analysis identified six primary categories of perceived barriers: environmental and structural, intrapersonal, interpersonal and social, psychological and emotional, behavioral and lifestyle, cultural and contextual. Across the 64 included studies, a total of 165 references to barriers were identified. Environmental and structural barriers were the most prevalent, accounting for 54, whereas cultural and contextual barriers were the least reported, with 10 references.

This pioneering scoping review systematically maps the perceived barriers to PA for YLWOO, categorizing them into six principal themes. Environmental and structural barriers emerged as the most pervasive, underscoring a pressing need for policy-level attention. Conversely, cultural and contextual factors were the least cited, a finding which may itself reflect a relative paucity of investigation in these areas. This identifies a critical research gap warranting further inquiry and highlights the necessity for tailored, multi-level interventions to promote PA effectively within this population.