A Qualitative Exploration of Facilitators and Barriers to Physical Activity Participation among Chinese Retired Adults in Hong Kong

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to identify facilitators and barriers associated with physical activity participation among retired Chinese adults in Hong Kong. This study adopts an interview research design in order to generate an in-depth understanding and insights into the participants’ thoughts, motivators and experiences of physical activity participation. Independent, semi-structured interviews with 10 retired participants (aged 54–74) were conducted based on an interview protocol with open-ended questions prompting the participants to describe their experiences. Transcribed texts were analysed using thematic analysis, combining both deductive and inductive analysis techniques. Common physical activities reported were walking, stretching exercise and jogging/running. Participants responded that their physical activity level increased since their retirement. We report the interview results according to the themes which emerged from the analysis: (1) physical and mental health, (2) socio-emotional factors, (3) environmental context, (4) family responsibilities. We found that the themes (1), (2) and (3) act either as a facilitator or a barrier for the participants interviewed, while theme (4) family responsibilities act as a barrier. The findings suggested that future physical activity interventions for retired Chinese adults should include more physical activity knowledge, such as the benefits to physical and mental health brought by physical activity and social elements, considering the specific challenges that participants are confronted with (from the family side).