Barriers and Facilitators of Physical Activity for Gender Diverse Persons

BACKGROUND: Gender Diverse persons face pervasive discrimination and worse health outcomes compared to their cisgender peers. Physical activity, being highly influential of health, is an opportune area to improve health in the gender diverse population, though gender diverse persons face significant barriers in being physically active. PURPOSE: Using a socioecological perspective, this study’s purpose was to explore physical activity behaviors in gender diverse persons and the potential barriers and facilitators to being physically active that they experience. METHODS: This mixed methodology study encompassed conducting semi-structured focus groups (n=7) via Zoom and collecting quantitative data via an online survey. The survey sample (n=32) included participants whose gender identities differed from their assigned sex at birth, were 18 years of age or older, and lived within the United States; a subset (n=18) participated in the focus groups. Focus group transcripts were coded using NVivo software and survey data were analyzed using SAS 9.4. RESULTS: Using the socioecological model as a framework, twelve individual-level themes emerged: 1) perception of PA, exercise, and sport; 2) childhood experiences; 3) coming out and/or transitioning; 4) gender dysphoria; 5) gender euphoria; 6) gender expression; 7) clothing, sports uniforms, and swimwear; 8) hair; 9) using physical activity for body change; 10) personal health; 11) muscular strength; 12) knowledge of physical activity and exercise, four interpersonal-level themes: 1) avoiding other people in physical activity or exercise settings; 2) negative social pressures around physical activity and exercise; 3) other people perceiving participant’s bodies or voices; 4) positive social support, two community-level themes: 1) gender binary settings and locker rooms/bathrooms; 2) queer-based physical activity spaces, and five societal-level themes: 1) COVID-19 pandemic; 2) monetary costs of PA, exercise, and sport; 3) gender binary and perceptions of gender in sport and physical activity; 4) representation of trans and queer persons in sport; 5) safety. The online survey found participants indicated barriers in the individual domain were the greatest barriers to participation in physical activity. CONCLUSION: This study serves in identifying and understanding barriers and facilitators of physical activity behaviors across levels of social influence for gender diverse persons, which is necessary in effectively engaging with this population within physical activity contexts.

Author dc:creator

• Urvig, Michael

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/11299/259605

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:conservancy.umn.edu:11299/259605