A qualitative review of the views and experiences of individuals with or at risk for chronic disease in physical activity programs

The benefits of regular physical activity among individuals with or at risk for chronic disease are well established. The difficulty is in getting this population to be active and maintain activity levels. Physical activity programs have been created and have had varying success. Understanding the factors that facilitate or hinder a participant to adhere and maintain physical activity is imperative. Little qualitative research has been conducted on factors associated with physical activity adherence and even less so on maintenance of physical activity. This qualitative literature review examined data from the participants’ perspective on facilitators and barriers about physical activity programs at two time points. Two sub questions were formulated to match these time points. 1) What are the views and experiences of individuals with or at risk for chronic disease on facilitators and barriers used to enhance PA adherence during a program? 2) What are the views and experiences of individuals with or at risk for chronic disease on facilitators and barriers to maintain PA participation after a program has ended?