Factors Influencing Equitable Participation in a Provincially Implemented Older Adult Exercise Program in Canada:...

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Public Health
• Health Equity

Background:

• Group exercise programs offer significant health benefits for older adults.
• Equitable participation in these programs remains a challenge for diverse populations.
• Understanding local and systemic factors is crucial for improving access and representation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate local and system-wide factors affecting equitable participation in the Forever . . . in motion (FIM) program for older adults in Saskatchewan, Canada.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to equitable engagement within a community-based exercise program.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 17 program implementers and exercise leaders.
• The Health Equity Implementation Framework (HEIF) guided the analysis.
• Codebook thematic analysis was employed to identify equity-focused implementation themes.

Main Results:

• Positive factors included low-cost, adaptive exercise options (community and online), leader/implementer characteristics, and community collaboration.
• Negative factors comprised participant social determinants of health barriers, insufficient leader/implementer knowledge, and lack of equity focus in goals/metrics.
• Key themes identified were a disjointed provincial system, poor understanding/action of inclusion, and a lack of equity focus in goals and measures.

Conclusions:

• Implementation frameworks like the HEIF are valuable tools for understanding inequities in health promotion.
• These frameworks can guide the development of targeted strategies to address and reduce equity gaps in program participation.