Physical activity and sedentary behavior: A population-based study of barriers, enjoyment, and preference.

TLDR

The study aims to use constructs of barriers, enjoyment, and preference to examine individual and environmental influences on physical activity and sedentary behavior and inform targeted interventions. The authors surveyed 1,332 adults via mail to assess how barriers, enjoyment, and preferences relate to physical activity and sedentary behavior. Higher enjoyment and preference for activity were associated with greater physical activity, while cost, weather, personal barriers, and preference for sedentary behavior were linked to lower activity and higher sedentary behavior.

Abstract

The associations of physical activity and sedentary behavior with barriers, enjoyment, and preferences were examined in a population-based mail survey of 1,332 adults. Respondents reporting high enjoyment and preference for physical activity were more likely to report high levels of activity. Those reporting cost, the weather, and personal barriers to physical activity were less likely to be physically active. Preference for sedentary behavior was associated with the decreased likelihood of being physically active, and the weather as a barrier to physical activity was associated with the increased likelihood of sedentary behavior. These constructs can be used to examine individual and environmental influences on physical activity and sedentary behavior in specific populations and could inform the development of targeted interventions.