Food & Health Alliance

Dwyer, J. J. M.; Allison, K. R.; Goldenberg, E. R.; Fein, A. J.; Yoshida, K. K. & Boutilier, M. A., Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, College of Social and Applied Human Sciences, University of Guelph, Macdonald Institute Building, Guelph, Ontario, Canada. (2006).

A study that investigates barriers that prevent adolescent females participating in physical activity in a large multi-ethnic city (Toronto, Canada).

Aim:  To investigate the barriers to participating in physical exercise for adolescent females who live in a large, multi-ethnic city. 

Methods:  Potential participants’ completed background information questionnaires (with questions addressing age, ethnic background, grade, etc.).  73 adolescent females (mainly 15 to 16 years old) participated in 1 of 7 focus groups; these participants were selected in order to provide a representative ethnic sample.  The focus groups addressed issues such as why participants exercised, what makes it difficult for participants to engage in physical activity and what could be done in their community to facilitate participants being more physically active. 

Results:  Key perceived and actual barriers to being physically active were identified as:  lack of time, involvement in technology-related activities, influence of peers, parents and teachers; concern about safety; inaccessibility of facilities and cost of using them; competition; and body centered issues. A number of these factors were consistent with previous research.

Conclusion:  This study indicates that a complex interaction of numerous factors can act together to determine adolescent girls physical activity levels. Interestingly this study did not suggest that adolescents from different ethnic groups face different barriers, suggesting that the findings can be generalised across diverse groups.

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