Barriers to exercise participation among older Chinese adults attending a primary care clinic in Hong Kong

Abstract

Objective: To explore the level of physical activity (PA) and the barriers to exercise participation among the older adults attending a university primary care clinic in Hong Kong. Design: Cross-sectional questionnaire survey Subjects: Patients aged 60 or above attending a university primary care clinic in Hong Kong Main outcome measures: Level of PA as measured by the validated short version of International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), self-perceived internal and external barriers to PA Results: Overall, 20% (47/235) of respondents had low level of PA. The three most common internal barriers to PA were found to be: “too tired” (59%, 139/235), “too lazy” (52%, 122/235), and “medical problem” (47%, 111/235). The most common external barriers were: “bad weather” (49%, 116/235), “lack of time” (37%, 87/235), and “no one to exercise with” (28%, 65/235) Conclusions: The study has identified the most common barriers to exercise participation among the older adults attending a university primary care clinic. Healthcare providers can address these barriers and develop strategies for the implementation of exercise programmes in coming years.