Iranian Women’s Perceptions and Experiences of Barriers to and Facilitators of Physical Activity

Abstract

Background and Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explain Iranian women’s perceptions and experiences about barriers to and facilitators of physical activity (PA). Methods: In this study, two focus group discussions and six personal interviews with women were performed. They were selected using the purposive sampling method. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and until data saturation was reached. Next, a directed content analysis method was used for data analysis. Results: Three main subthemes and 12 categories were developed as follow: ‘intrapersonal factors’, ‘interpersonal factors’, and ‘environmental factors associated with sports environment’. Conclusions: The women cited numerous barriers to PA. They mostly believed that women did not set health as a priority in their life plan due to their multiple responsibilities and high levels of responsibility. They also acknowledged that each person should plan for PA despite all available barriers.