A Qualitative Study of Barriers and Enablers of Physical Activity among Female Emirati University Students

Abstract

Interventions to promote physical activity participation should reflect social and culturally relevant influences of the target demographic. The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of barriers to and enablers of physical activity participation among female Emirati university students. Five semi-structured focus groups were conducted (n = 25). Participants were asked open-ended questions about benefits, barriers and enablers of physical activity, and recommendations to promote participation. Emergent themes were identified using Nvivo software. Commonly identified benefits included improved health, weight management, improved mood, and stress reduction. The main barriers were low family support, competing time demands from domestic and academic activities, lack of convenient access to women-only facilities, and hot weather. The main enablers and recommendations related to social support from family and friends, accessible and low-cost women-only facilities, and structured supervised sessions. Findings suggest that there are specific social-cultural influences of physical activity among female Emirati university students. Approaches to promote participation could include identifying benefits consistent with family and cultural values, using social media for education, support and modelling, on campus supervised physical activity sessions integrated with the academic timetable, low-cost women-only opportunities in the local residential area, and support for home-based activities.

The current implementation of Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center cycling injury prevention exercises among male elite cyclists in the Gulf Cooperation Council

“…Moreover, increasing age, lower education level, being female and married were also identified as obstacles. Similar results were reported by Burton et al25 about the barriers and enablers of physical activity among female university students from the United Arab Emirates.…”

Barriers to high school and university students’ physical activity: A systematic review

“…Among others, lack of time was the most cited barrier to physical activity in university students. Although no previous systematic reviews have identified barriers to physical activity among university students, some qualitative studies have shown the presence of motivational and time-related barriers as factors preventing university students from practicing physical activity [ 122 , 143 , 144 ]. Furthermore, barriers to physical activity are almost similar in reviews on different populations, for example in individuals from the Middle East and North Africa [ 145 ], pregnant women [ 146 ] and medical services professionals [ 147 ].…”

Determinants of Health Care Needs in Relation to Vision Correction among Adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross-Sectional Study

“…Therefore, it is suggested to provide vision care services to school-based children and adolescents as part of standard health care coverage from the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health across all emirates, irrespective of household monthly income. While pursuing at least one outdoor activity was not shown to be significantly associated with self-reported needs for vision correction in this study, the warmer climate in the UAE may pose contextual barriers to pursuing outdoor activities, as suggested among women in a Qatari study [ 44 , 45 ]. Further research assessing the vision correction needs among adolescents in different climates in the UAE based on outdoor temperatures may help identify any associations between weather, pursuing outdoor activity, and vision correction needs.…”