Addressing the challenges, barriers, and enablers to physical activity participation in prioity women's groups

Background: The Women’s Active Living Kits (WALK) Pilot Program was an Australian federal government initiative designed to identify an effective model for extending physical activity participation in government identified priority women’s groups. The purpose of this study is to address the barriers and challenges to physical activity participation in selected priority women’s groups and present possible strategies to assist with engaging these groups in physical activity. Methods: Ten focus group evaluation sessions were undertaken with priority women’s groups who took part in the WALK program. Participants were encouraged to share their opinions, perceptions and beliefs regarding their physical activity behaviours, in a semi-structured, open table discussion. Results: Participants reported a number of psychological and cognitive, socio-cultural, and environmental factors which restricted their participation in physical activity. Participants also highlighted strategies they felt would enable physical activity participation. These included; increased use of health professionals to deliver health education to the general community, the use of a leader to facilitate the program, encouraging group activity, being culturally sensitive to the specific needs of other cultures, and developing a partnership with other community social service centres. Conclusions: These findings are valuable and should be used as a platform to inform the design and implementation of future physical activity interventions for priority women’s groups.