Identifying Barriers to Physical Activity and Exercise Within the Bexar County Community

Extensive evidence highlights the cardiovascular, metabolic, psychological, and autoimmune health benefits of physical activity (PA). Despite the well-established benefits of PA, a significant portion of the population does not meet the standard recommendations; therefore, an analysis of the various barriers to PA is worth investigating. Established barriers to PA include time, motivation, physical literacy, race, gender, and education. When one or more of these barriers exist for a population, they may significantly hinder one's ability to perform PA. Lower levels of PA are associated with worse health outcomes. Bexar County, Texas, is one example where high rates of chronic disease are correlated with a significant lack of meeting recommended PA guidelines. An electronic survey was created to investigate the barriers to PA that exist in Bexar County. The domains surveyed were scored to help generate a total barrier score (TBS). A total of 220 adults, ages 18-99, who live in a Bexar County zip code, were surveyed. Results indicate that age was associated with decreased TBS (Estimate=-0.39, 95% CI -0.70, -0.08, p=0.015) whereas having a disability (Estimate=17.73, 95% CI 6.73, 28.73, p=0.002), having household dependents (Estimate=10.35, 95% CI 3.64, 17.05, p=0.002), and living in the northeast region (Estimate=17.6, 95% CI 2.52., 32.69, p=0.022) were associated with increased TBS. Specific barrier domains showed differences among demographics, such as increased safety barriers reported by African American individuals, decreased time barriers among older respondents, and increased health barriers among those with disabilities. By identifying and addressing barriers to PA in Bexar County, participation in local PA programs can increase, ultimately leading to improved health for the community.