Factors that affect exercise participation among people with physical disabilities

Physical disabilities are often accompanied by secondary diseases like coronary heart disease, diabetes and obesity. These diseases can all have a high cost for the healthcare system and can be prevented by physical activity. Many facilitators and barriers can influence exercise habits. The objective of the study is to investigate the importance of a number of personal and contextual factors for exercise participation in a group of people with physical disabilities. A questionnaire was sent to 137 adults with physical disability living in the Stockholm area. The response rate was 70%. Following factors were found important by a majority of respondents: accessible exercise facilities (82%), instructors with knowledge about adapted exercise (81%), a sense of belonging (68%), support from family and friends (54%); 34% stated they did not have enough knowledge about their body and disability to participate in recreational exercise. The most common reason for giving up a former exercise was health reasons or acquiring a disability. Among persons not currently active in recreational exercise, 51% wanted to try an exercise and 81% of them experienced they needed support in that. When promoting exercise, it is important to be aware of the role of contextual and personal factors for a person's motivation.