Facilitators, motivations, and barriers to physical activity among Chinese American women

Physical inactivity poses a significant risk to morbidity and mortality. Chinese American women, as part of the larger group of Asian American women, exhibit low adherence to recommended physical activity guidelines. To date, few physical activity interventions have been tailored to address specific sociocultural considerations in this population, and the heterogeneity among Asian Americans is often not considered. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to understand facilitators, motivations, and barriers to physical activity perceived by Chinese American women to help inform tailored physical activity interventions for this population. Virtual, semi-structured individual interviews with 21 Chinese American women were completed. Data were analyzed using Clarke and Braun’s thematic analysis approach. Six main themes emerged: (1) desires to stay healthy; (2) achievement and satisfaction; (3) facilitators and motivations from social networks; (4) COVID-19 pandemic; (5) prioritizing family needs; and (6) weight status satisfaction. Participants expressed motivations rooted in their desire for improved health, personal experience of improvement and accomplishment gained from physical activity, and the influence of social networks, both online and in-person. The COVID-19 pandemic acted as both a facilitator and a barrier to physical activity. Identified barriers include prioritizing family needs over personal engagement in physical activity and lacking motivation due to perceiving a normal weight that does not necessitate participation in physical activity. The findings facilitate the development of culturally appropriate interventions to improve physical activity and enhance overall well-being in this population.