The Role of Perceived Personal Barriers to Engagement in Leisure-Time Physical Activity
Open accessAbstract
Objectives. We sought to identify perceived personal barriers to physical activity and examine the potential association between these barriers and sociodemographic and behavioral variables, including participation in leisure-time physical activity. Methods. In 2003, we conducted a population-based study in Pelotas, Brazil. Participants aged 20 years and older were selected according to a multistage sampling strategy. Participants responded to both the International Physical Activity Questionnaire and a standardized questionnaire investigating 8 perceived personal barriers. Results. Only 26.8% of participants achieved 150 minutes per week of leisure-time physical activity. Lack of money (40.3%) and feeling too tired (38.1%) were the most frequently reported barriers to physical activity. A dose–response group association was observed between number of perceived barriers and level of physical activity. In the multivariable analysis, lack of time, dislike of exercising, feeling too tired, lack of company, and lack of money were associated with physical inactivity. Conclusion. Detection of the determinants of physical inactivity, a growing epidemic, should be a public health priority. Brazil is a middle-income (developing) country. The prevalence of most of the personal barriers studied was higher in this population than those levels observed in high-income (developed) countries. Perceiving 5 of the 8 barriers investigated was inversely associated with leisure-time physical activity level.
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Lack of time is often cited as a barrier to being physically active.
“'Lack of time' is often cited as a barrier to being physically active (Korkiakangas et al. 2009;Reichert et al. 2007)”
From Towards the minimal amount of exercise for improving metabolic health: beneficial effects of reduced-exertion high-intensity interval training (2012) · cites this paper as Reichert et al. 2007
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- Authors
- Reichert, F. F., Barros, A. J. D., Domingues, M. R., & Hallal, P. C.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas (BR)
- Venue
- American Journal of Public Health
- Publisher
- American Public Health Association
- Published
- 2007-03
- Volume
- 97
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 515-519
- ISSN
- 0090-0036 (ISSN-L)
- 1541-0048
- PMC
- PMC1805028
- OpenAlex
- W2079817372
- Cited by
- 507
- References
- 26
- Citations by year
- 2026: 14 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 15 · 2023: 20 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 46 · 2020: 30 · 2019: 33 · 2018: 37 · 2017: 35 · 2016: 20 · 2015: 36 · 2014: 30 · 2013: 30 · 2012: 37
- FWCI
- 9.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- American Journal of Public Health (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Universidade Federal de Pelotas
- Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
- Ministério da Saúde
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
- Social Sciences › Life-span and Life-course Studies › Sports and Physical Education Studies
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
- Keywords
- leisure-time physical activity, perceived barriers to physical activity, physical inactivity, lack of money, fatigue, time constraints, sociodemographic factors, dose-response relationship, middle-income countries, Pelotas, Brazil
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Age Factors, Aged, Attitude to Health, Brazil, Family Characteristics, Female, Humans, Leisure Activities, Male, Middle Aged, Motor Activity, Surveys and Questionnaires, Sex Factors, Socioeconomic Factors, Time Factors, Urban Health, Censuses
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