Background
Method
Sampling strategy
Participant number | Age (yrs) | Gender (F/M) | Occupation | Diagnosed health issues | Unique-Identifier | Estimated minutes of MVPA per week in last month (>5 METs) | Self-reported PA participation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 45 | F | Registered Nurse (senior) | F-45-Nurse | 120 | Gym, 3x/week - Treadmill walking, stationary cycling | |
2 | 35 | F | Unemployed FT carer to disabled son | F-35-Carer | 180 | Gym, 3x/week – 30 min cardio plus resistance weight training | |
3 | 59 | F | Unemployed | Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) | F-59-Retired | 50 | Gym 2x/week – Yoga, Treadmill, cycle, swim |
4 | 57 | F | Retired. Volunteers in a hospice | F-57-Retired | 90 | Swimming once per week (1 h), looking after grandson once per week | |
5 | 43 | F | Teaching Assistant and Foster Carer | F-43-Teaching-Assistant | 120 | Walking to work, participating in 2 PE lessons per week | |
6 | 47 | F | Novel writer | F-47-Novellist | 120 | Walking to shops, housework, gardening | |
7 | 31 | M | Sport Centre Manager. | Sprained Ankle | M-31-Sport-Centre-Manager | 0 | Badminton, Basketball (120/210 pre injury) |
8 | 31 | M | Office worker | M-31-Office-worker | 240 | 2 games of rugby per week, 1 h of training | |
9 | 34 | M | Technical Officer | M-34-Office-worker | 0 | Long walks at weekends | |
10 | 49 | F | Sales Assistant | F-49-Sales-Assistant | 0 | Walking to and from work, approx. 2 h/week total | |
11 | 49 | M | Office Manager | M-49-Manager | 240 | Cycling, 3–6 times per week, 20–25 miles each time | |
12 | 57 | F | Office Worker | F-56-Office-worker | 0 | Dog Walking | |
13 | 49 | M | Office Manager | M-49-Manager | 150 | Jogging twice per week, 8–10 miles, 75 mins each | |
14 | 36 | M | Warehouse Supervisor | M-36-Warehouse-supervisor | 180 | Jogging twice per week, 12 miles 90 mins per run | |
15 | 37 | M | Warehouse Supervisor | M-37-Warehouse-supervisor | 0 | Walking 3–4 times per week, approx. 60 mins each |
Design
Ethics
Procedure
Data analysis
Results
Competence and progress
Mirrored categories
When it was just me and I was trying to lose weight on my own I was like ‘Yeah whatever’. However, seeing her I’m like ‘You know what I’d better lose something because she’s a right battle-axe!”… She’s just, her general demeanor she’s quiet mean…. just going to somebody whose expecting me to lose that weight and not doing it: I don’t like the thought of that. [M-31-Sport-Centre-Manager-PRACTICE-NURSE]
I think there’s also a fear factor as well. Say if you joined a five a side football team there’s the unknown and the fact that they would all be fit and very physically active and your all unfit and out-of-breath… the fear factor of looking a fool in front of your peers… which I know is a catch 22 because the longer you don’t do it the worse its going to get, but it probably is a de-motivating factor. [M-37-Warehouse-Supervisor-TEAMMATES]
Non-mirrored categories
Informational influences
Mirrored categories
Non-mirrored categories
Just too many temptations. It’s too easy just to stay in and game. It’s too easy just to go home, put the heating on and get comfy, have a couple of drinks… alcoholic drinks. You get used to it and you get in that kind of mindset. [M-34-Office-Worker-PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT + NORMS]
Emotional influences
Mirrored categories
I knew him [friend] and he seemed quite jolly but underneath it he’s absolutely not… He was becoming a bit like a lost cause… He was spending a great deal of time at my house, but he’s extremely lethargic, he is very obese… and he loves watching TV, so you know, we would. It was just too much inactivity. Lots of nights watching loads of TV.[F-59-Retired-FRIEND]
Non-mirrored categories
In terms of pressures of running a home and sorting the children out… sometimes there’s not much time in the day to do exercise… If I can go running in the morning that means I can do it at times when there’s not a lot else going on, and the kids aren’t usually awake. By the time I get back and I’m done I’m ready to take on my responsibilities as a parent, and husband….”[M-49-Manager-WIFE]
Pragmatics and logistics
Mirrored categories
I now work around 1.7 miles from where I live, so it’s just easier. And I mean it’s the bonus of not having to pay for parking as well. I just get out my door: no traffic, no ridiculous prices for parking… plus you get the health benefits [M-37-Warehouse-Supervisor-PROXIMITY]I live in a country [rural] area where it’s just dangerous to go out [cycling or walking] in the dark. You’ve got cars, they’re not going to see you, you could have a severe accident.[M-34-Office-worker-RURAL LOCATION]We live out in the country, probably ten miles away from the nearest town, so, it’s just not the cheapest thing. We would do it for a little while but I know that very quickly we would be, you know, ‘Oh we can’t be bothered with the driving to and from’. There’s no question that because we live out in the country we lose out. If it was just around the corner I think it would be different. [M-49-Manager-RURAL-LOCATION]
It takes up the majority of my time. I commute for an hour and a half… it’s just time… Wake up: seven o’clock in the morning. Leave the house: ten to eight. Get to work around nine. Finish at 6, seven o’clock. By the time I get home it’s eight. Spend half an hour with my daughter. Cook tea or watch TV. Do the pots. Watch TV. Spend a bit of time with my missus. Then it’s off to bed. [M-31-Sport-Centre-Manager-WORK-LIFE BALANCE]
Non-mirrored categories
Relatedness and belonging
Mirrored categories
Non-mirrored categories
Commentary on socio-environmental influences
Social agent | Behaviors and attributes reported to motivate physical activity | Behaviors and attributes reported to motivate sedentary behavior |
---|---|---|
Husband/wife/partner | Allowing me time to be active, constantly prompting me to be active, role modeling PA behavior, doing activities together, encouraging me, reminds me of friends made through PA, looks after kids while I go. | Disinterested, does not approve, begrudges time spent away being active, is very sedentary him/herself, we are sedentary together (TV), works too much/late. Reminders can be demotivating. Reminders needed/appreciated. Could help by looking after kids while I am active. |
Parents/father/mother | Setting a good example, prompting/asking, preferring to be outdoors, taking an interest and supporting, “showing my future”. | Prefer to take car which means I have to too. |
Brother/Sister | Accompanying me, teaching me new skills, sibling rivalry | |
Children/son/daughter | Helping him/her ends up making me active too, taking an interest in my PA, noticing my achievements, accompanying parent to gym, prompting/pushing parent to be active. | Looking after kids leaves me exhausted, being sick/requiring care prevents PA opportunities, I would rather spend time with them, insisting on sedentary activities (video games) |
Family | Doing everything together (inc. PA), making PA our norm, letting me fit PA around them, being a reason to stay healthy. | Our routine is to watch TV in an evening, family comes before ‘personal’ activities, having children takes over your life, having no help to run household reduces PA opportunities, any illness/problem would have to come before PA. |
Grand children | Requiring a lot of activity to look after | After caring for them I can’t face any PA. |
Friend/Friends | Introducing me, recommending activities, being ‘sporty’, being another reason for me to attend, group membership/belonging, allowing me time alone too. | Being lethargic/sedentary meant I had to be if I wanted to be with them, being unable to walk far means parking closer, no friend to help/support me, we became friends through sedentary activities (gaming, drinking), socializing trumps PA (rarer/more important) |
Online gaming peers | I made friends through online gaming, encouraging me to stay online (sed.) a bit longer. | |
Work-mates or study colleagues | Being active themselves, insisting on taking the stairs, recommending classes/activities, agreeing to do activities together, identifying a person as ‘active/sporty’, being in poor health as an example to avoid. | Not interested in PA. |
Neighbors | Going for regular walks | |
Strangers (adults, older, younger) | Showing me what is possible, building relationships during active commuting. | Being rude during PA – at gym or in sport, appearing to have negative attitude towards those who exercise. |
Team-mates or opponents (sport) | Group membership/belongingness, asking me to return after I quit, using sport for social time, building friendships through sport, allowing quiet time when I need it. Boasting so I want to beat them. | Attaching social events (drinking) to training/games, quitting can scupper a team/group (e.g., if 4 needed); being too good, or appearing intolerant of beginners, making negative comments. |
Gym Colleagues | Going as a pair creates commitment, leaving me alone when I need it. | |
Gym Instructor | Helping find right equipment, teaching me the right technique, challenging me to races/goals | |
Class Instructor | A great teacher, differentiates tasks, seeks gradual improvement not step changes | |
Personal Trainer | Tailoring program to specific needs, personalizing program to disability, structuring program so progress is self-evident, challenging me to races/goals. | Shouting or using negative motivation |
Exercise referral worker/health worker | Performing (and following up) lifestyle audit, referring me for extra treatment, helping me find and take opportunities to be active. | |
General Practitioner | Diagnosing illness and detailing consequences, highlighting risk factors and detailing consequences, advising me to lose weight or reduce blood pressure, informing me of warning signs to avoid/manage, referring me for specialist help | No advice given implies I must be ok. |
Practice Nurse | Referrals to exercise or weight management groups, being a bit stern so I fear negative judgment. | |
Exercise class-mates | Creating a social bond and sense of belonging, needing my help to motivate them, pushing me – by sheer presence or deliberate/vocal | |
Employer | Jobs that involve promoting PA and health, workplace schemes to be active, reducing workload or allowing flexible hours | High workload prevents PA, long hours prevent PA, workload direct inverse relationship to PA, work is more important than PA, Stress makes me not feel like PA, job involves being sedentary, design of workplace undermines PA, inconsistent work patterns so cannot join class/team; work plus family leaves no time for PA, no schemes or initiatives, long commute leaves no time. |
Event organizers and community groups | Publicizing event details, allowing me to get involved by organizing sparked interest | |
Gyms/companies | Too expensive, need flexible membership options, high expectations of beginners, over-crowded gym, no entry level activities, need a crèche, need classes targeting new mums. | |
Government | Incentives and schemes, information campaigns, parking charges | Restricting access to certain locations (reservoirs), poor public transport, removing funding from schemes that were working. |
Media | Educating and informing, reinforcing advice from doctors (or good advice), bringing the issue straight into our home, showing extreme images and worst cases, promoting local events and initiatives, prompting me to see GP, providing a constant ‘nudge’ | Inconsistent/contradictory messages, attention grabbing so I sit and read/watch, “so many opportunities”, shock tactics can desensitize me, promoting particular body image demotivates me, targeting certain groups over others. “TV is the main threat” |
Cultural norms | “Slim women”, “muscular men”, “overweight=bad” | Its “just normal” to curl up in and evening and put the heating on, need to look smart for job (cannot get rained on or sweaty), simple gender roles dictate wife stays indoors. |
Social media | Making us aware of upcoming events, sharing achievements | Telling us that everyone these days is inactive, making other people seem super-human |
Websites, apps and podcasts | Information is helpful, recording calories, announces/publicizes my achievements | |
Available activities | Suited to individual preferences (group/individual, competitive/classes) | Everything seems expensive, too far away = unable to travel, changing format of sessions put me off, pace was too high/low. |
Physical Environment | Facilities are close by, converting disused land/facilities into PA opportunities. | No facilities in my area, transport costs too high, need to be within walking distance, not safe to cycle on these roads, quality of facilities is poor |
Commentary on mirrored themes
Motivating physical activity | Motivating sedentariness | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Category of behaviors/attributes
| Social agents
| Overall higher theme |
Social agents |
Category of behaviors/attributes |
Healthy competition | Team-mate, opposition, siblings, instructors, son/daughter | Competence and progress | Strangers, Team-mates, class-mates |
**Fear of negative social judgments
|
**Fear of negative social judgments
| Nurse | |||
Noticing/recording progress | Son/daughter, Website/App, work colleagues | |||
Activities individualized to me | Website/app/podcast, personal trainer, gym instructor | Available activities, gyms/companies, government |
**Nothing that suits me, that I want to do
| |
Public accountability | Website/app, social media, work colleagues | |||
Realistic pace of progress | Health worker, class instructor | |||
Showing me how to do it properly | Gym instructor | Team-mates/class-mates |
**Social comparisons (I compare badly)
| |
**Social comparisons (I compare well)
| Work colleagues, friends | |||
**The nature of the activity on offer has to suit me
| Available activities | |||
“Happy coincidences” – facilitating PA by accident or shared interest | Social media, employer, family, work colleagues, event organizers | Pragmatics and logistics | Husband/wife/partner, Daughter/son, child, Grand-children, Family, Employer | Family and work always come above exercise/PA |
**Beneficial geography or local area
| Physical environment, government | Physical environment, government |
**Geographical and local issues
| |
Wife/husband/partner, Team-mates |
**Not supporting, or removing support
| |||
**Logistical/pragmatic support
| Husband/wife/partner, family, gym instructor | Gyms/companies, physical environment, available activities |
**Poor provision of facilities/opportunities
| |
Friends | Social events can undermine PA | |||
**Special projects and initiatives
| Government, physical environment, employer | Government, Employer |
**Lack of special projects and initiatives
| |
Available activities, gyms/companies, government |
**Lack of targeted/specialist provision
| |||
**Workload directly relates to PA
| Employer, physical environment (commute) | Employer, Family, Physical Environment (commute) |
**Workload directly relates to PA
| |
**Consistency of messages between sources
| Media, General Practitioner | Informational influences | Media, physical environment, available activities, family, friends, cultural norms | “Too many temptations” towards sedentariness |
My job gives me awareness of key issues | Employers, work colleagues | Media |
**Inconsistency of messages between sources
| |
Personal assessments opened my eyes | Exercise referral worker | Media |
**Demotivating, desensitizing, and making me feel hopeless
| |
Raising awareness and ‘making me think’ | Media, government | Employers (and clients), cultural norms, Media |
**Norms promoting sedentariness
| |
Referrals and recommendations | General practitioner, nurse, work colleagues | |||
**Role models and leading by example
| Husband/wife/spouse, Parents, Brother/Sister, Strangers, neighbors, work colleagues, media | General practitioner |
**Failing to raise the issue with me
| |
**Shocking images/stories scare me
| Media, government | |||
**Norms promoting physical activity
| Friends, work/study colleagues, society/culture | Husband/wife/partner, Parent/father/mother, Family, Friend |
**Their sedentariness limits what I can do
| |
**Warning signs and alarm bells
| GPs, media, family (e.g., older), friends getting sick | |||
Allowing “me time” – to do it, or during | Husband/wife, friends, Team-mates, gym colleagues | Emotional influences | Friends |
**Looking after (or spending time) with sedentary friends
|
**Altruism – supporting each other
| Exercise class-mates, daughter/son/child | Husband/wife/partner |
**Lack of support/encouragement
| |
**Moral support, encouragement, interest
| Husband/wife/spouse, son/daughter/child, Parents, Website/App, | Husband/wife/partner, Parent/father/mother |
**Constant reminders can demotivate
| |
**Prompting/reminding - of PA or health
| Daughter, Wife/partner, Father/mother, friends, team-mates | Husband/wife/partner, Parent/father/mother, family, Friend, online gaming peers |
**We engage in sedentary behavior together
| |
**We do activity together
| Husband/wife/spouse, son/daughter/child, Parents, Brother/Sister, Friends, Classmates/Team-mates | |||
“Do it for your family” – being a reason to stay healthy | Children, family | Relatedness and belonging | Work colleagues, Family, Team-mates, Online gaming peers |
**Group membership motivates sedentariness
|
“Mutual pushing” – doing it together and pushing each other | Wife/Husband/partner, Son/Daughter, Work colleague, team-mate | Personal trainer, gym instructor, class instructor |
**Poor relationship with instructor
| |
**Group membership in relation to PA fosters commitment
| Team-mates, class mates, friends, strangers, husband/wife/partner | |||
**PA provides opportunities to improve/expand social bonds
| Parent/father/mother, husband/wife/partner, team-mates, class-mates | Online gaming peers, Husband/wife/partner, Family, Friends |
**Social network supports sedentariness
| |
**Good relationship with instructor
| Personal trainer, gym instructor, class instructor |