Do adolescents' experiences of the barriers to and facilitators of physical activity differ by socioeconomic position? A systematic review of qualitative evidence

Abstract

This review aims to systematically identify and synthesize qualitative data on adolescents' experiences of the barriers to and facilitators of physical activity to understand whether these differ by socioeconomic position. Multiple databases (MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, PsycINFO, and ERIC) were searched in August 2020.Duplicate title/abstract and full text screening was conducted. Studies were included if they reported qualitative data collected from adolescents (aged 10-19), a measure of socioeconomic position and focused on physical activity. Studies not published in English or published before 2000 were excluded. Relevant data were extracted and methodological quality assessed (in duplicate). Data were analyzed using Thomas and Harden's methods for the thematic synthesis. Four analytical themes emerged from the 25 included studies: (1) social support, (2) accessibility and the environment,(3) other behaviors and health, and (4) gendered experiences. These themes appeared across socioeconomic groups; however, their narratives varied significantly. For example, provision and access to local facilities was discussed as a facilitator to middle and high socioeconomic adolescents, but was a barrier to low socioeconomic adolescents. These findings can be used to inform how different socioeconomic groups may benefit from, or be disadvantaged by, current interventions.

Fair play? Participation equity in organised sport and physical activity among children and adolescents in high income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…For example, the disparity tends to be greater in niche activities such as canoeing and rock climbing, compared to more mainstream activities such as cricket and netball, but may also depend on whether they occur in structured or unstructured settings. Children and adolescents from high and low SES families may also experience different barriers and facilitators across different domains of physical activity [ 9 ]. These inconsistencies could also be explained by unassessed confounders, such as culture, social organisation, geographic location, and factors beyond the scope of this review.…”

“…There is some evidence to suggest that children and adolescents from lower SES families participate in higher levels of leisure time activities, such as active play and walking, compared with children and adolescents from higher SES families (e.g., [ 7 , 8 ]). This could be due to different facilitators and barriers experienced across children and adolescents in different SES groups [ 9 ]. For example, children and adolescents from high SES families might experience parental encouragement or pressure to prioritise academic tasks, rather than leisure activities.…”

“…There is also some evidence to suggest that children and adolescents from lower SES families are less likely to participate in organised sport, compared with children and adolescents from high SES families (e.g., [ 10 ]). Children and adolescents from low SES families may face additional barriers to structured sports, such as the associated financial costs (e.g., registration fees and uniforms), transportation issues, and limited or poor availability of quality facilities and activities in the local neighbourhood and at school [ 9 ]. Children and adolescents from high and low SES families experience different barriers across different domains of PA, which may contribute to differing socioeconomic disparities across different physical activity domains.…”

Neighborhood-level socioeconomic factors moderate the association between physical activity and relative age effect: a cross-sectional survey study with Japanese adolescents

“…Although no study has examined how socioeconomic factors moderate the association between birth month and adolescent physical activity, there are some possible explanations. First, low SES adolescents are less likely to participate in sports because of financial instability [13,14], and socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods are less likely to have parks [16,17] or sports facilities [42][43][44]. Youth in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods might have fewer opportunities to play active roles in various sports than youth in socioeconomically advantaged neighborhoods.…”

“…Adolescents with low SES are less likely to participate in sports and to engage in physical activity than adolescents with high SES. Adolescents with low SES have difficulty participating in sports due to lack of various supports (e.g., financial supports, social supports from friends or parents) [14]. In addition, neighborhood socioeconomic factors are associated with healthy behavior; for example, socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods tend to have insufficient recreational facilities and few opportunities for individuals to participate in sports [15][16][17].…”