Non-Participation in Physical Activity Among Older Adults With Disabilities: Barriers, Intention, and Preferred...

Physical activity is essential for healthy ageing, yet older adults with disabilities show lower participation than those without disabilities. This study examined barriers, participation intention, and preferred participation modes among non-participating older adults with disabilities, focusing on heterogeneity across disability types.

This cross-sectional study used nationally representative data from the 2024 National Survey on Sports Participation for Persons with Disabilities in South Korea. The sample included 1,865 adults aged ≥60 years who reported no exercise participation during the previous year under the survey-based definition. Weighted descriptive analyses, Rao-Scott tests, and survey-weighted logistic regression were performed.

The most common primary barriers were lack of motivation (27.1%), poor health condition (23.9%), and lack of time to exercise (11.5%), with significant variation in several barriers across disability types. Severe disability was associated with lower odds of participation intention (OR=0.62, 95% CI: 0.46-0.85), whereas employment was associated with higher odds (OR=1.44, 95% CI: 1.09-1.91). Compared with physical disabilities, hearing and speech disabilities were associated with higher odds of participation intention (OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.08-1.89). Among respondents with participation intention, outdoor walking was the most preferred mode (57.5%); preferred modes did not differ significantly across disability types.

Non-participation in exercise was heterogeneous across disability types, particularly in primary reported barriers, while participation intention differed by disability severity, employment status, and disability type. Outdoor walking was the predominant preference among those reporting intention, highlighting the importance of considering both disability-specific heterogeneity and overall preferences when planning exercise-support strategies.