Factors Affecting Rural Women’s Involvement in Physical Activity in Ghana

Abstract

A qualitative study approach was used to explore the factors affecting rural women’s involvement in physical activity in Ghana. Most prior research has been done in African urban areas thus, neglecting the rural areas. Purposive sampling and a semi-structured interview method were used to interview nine women aged 40-60 years living in three rural areas in the central region of Ghana. The interviews were conducted by phone, translated, transcribed, and then coded using NVivo software package. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the data. The data presented eight enablers and five barriers to physical activity involvement for rural Ghanaian women. Findings revealed that rural women get a fair amount of physical activity from their traditional occupations, household chores, and community involvement but lack involvement in organized physical activity for leisure and fun. By introducing rural women to more varied physical activity options, they could gradually replace the physical activity they traditionally gain from their livelihood as they begin to age out of them in middle adulthood.