Physical activity experiences of community-dwelling older adults with physical disabilities: a scoping review of qualitative research

Figures & data

Table 1. Extracted information on the included studies.

Authors (year)	Study objective(s)	Theoretical framework	Location	Physical/mobility impairment	Participant characteristics M age, SD (range reported)	PA protocol (e.g., type, dosage, intensity, duration, setting, supervision)	Data collection	Data analysis
Bearne et al. [31]	To explore participants’ experiences of Education, self-management and upper extremity exercise Training for people with Rheumatoid Arthritis (EXTRA)	Social-cognitive theory	United Kingdom	Rheumatoid arthritis	5^a (4 female, 1 male) 73.40	Personalised home exercise regimen supplemented with four supervised, group education, self-management and upper extremity exercise sessions, a patient handbook and exercise diary	Interview	Thematic analysis
Bennett et al. [32]	To explore participants’ perceptions of in-person and virtual The Parkinson’s Wellness Recovery program (PWR!Moves) and capture barriers to participating in a PDEx program	Not reported	USA	Parkinson’s disease	9 (5 female, 4 male) 74.7	Twice-weekly, supervised classes that incorporated high-amplitude movements in multiple functional positions repetitively and independently in a group setting	Focus group	Thematic analysis
Bergland et al. [33]	To explore why older home dwelling women over the age of 70 years or more spend time on group exercise and their experiences of the importance of group exercise for their daily life	Cultural capital	Norway	Osteoarthritis	5^a (4 female, 1 male) 75.80	Supervised, twice weekly, 60-minute group exercise classes that provide functional training (weight bearing resistance, balance and stretching exercises, incorporating dancing steps and movements)	Interview	Inductive content analysis
Crowley and Kennedy [34]	To identify barriers to exercise in rheumatoid arthritis; to identify facilitators to exercise and methods to increase compliance in this population	Not reported	Ireland	Rheumatoid arthritis	12 (12 female) 70.83	Sample recruited from an open invite through regional branches of an arthritis organisation. Participants cited exercise experiences.	Focus group	Thematic content analysis
de Groot and Fagerström [35]	To describe the motivating factorsand barriers for older adults on adherence to group exercise in the local community.	Not reported	Norway	Two or more chronic diseases, with reduced physical functioning	10 (5 female, 5 male) 5/10 had continued exercise in the community after hospital. 83 (71 – 91) years	Exercises were designed to target strength and balance to prevent falls. Participants exercised in groups twice a week in the hospital (first 3 months) and then were invited to community venues (next 3 months);. classes were led by physiotherapists (for 6 months)	Interview	Descriptive analysis
Dohrn et al. [36]	To describe perceptions and experiences of PA and the factors that influence habitual PA among older women with osteoporosis, impaired balance, and fear of falling	Not reported	Sweden	Osteoporosis and impaired balance	18 community-dwelling women; classified themselves as active and healthy despite diagnosis 76.5 (66–86)	12-week balance training programme (n = 15) or control (n = 3); describe walking, yoga, sitting gymnastics, walking	Interview	Thematic content analysis
Evans et al. [37]	To explore the process of how community-dwelling survivors of stroke commit to exercise participation following discharge from formal rehabilitation	Not reported	Canada	Balance and mobility impairments following stroke	3^a (2 female, 1 male) 82.33 (69–89)	Sample recruited from an open invite to community-dwelling survivors of stroke engaged in exercise outside rehabilitation	Interview	Grounded theory
Fisken et al. [38]	To provide insight into the factors contributing to older adults with osteoarthritis ceasing participation in an aqua-based exercise program.	Not reported	New Zealand	Osteoarthritis	11 (11 female) 69.3 ± 4.0	Aqua-based exercise; participants did not maintain participation in this form of activity	Focus group	Inductive thematic analysis
Gay et al. [39]	To investigate the practice of general PA to gain insight into all the possible forms of PA practiced by osteoarthritis participants	Not reported	France	Osteoarthritis	27 (17 women, 10 men) 67.52	Sample recruited from spa therapy resorts. Participant’s self-reported metabolic task equivalent estimation	Interview and focus group	Thematic analysis
Hammer et al. [40]	To examine the contribution of self-efficacy in the understanding of the post-intervention experiences of PA maintenance	Self-efficacy theory	Denmark	Osteoarthritis	15 (8 female, 7 male) 66 (65–74)	12 months after supervised, group-based strength training, or supervised, supervised group-basedNordic Walking or unsupervised home-based exercise programme as part of a randomised controlled trial	Interview	Content analysis
Hendry et al. [41]	To examine the views of primary care patients with osteoarthritis of the knee towards exercise, to explore factors that determine the acceptability and motivation to exercise and to identify barriers that limit its use in primary care consultations	Not reported	United Kingdom	Osteoarthritis	12^a (7 female, 5 male) 72.5	Part of the sample was recruited from community exercise schemes. Participants cited exercise experiences.	Interview	Not stated; refers to coding, themes and categories
Hunt and Papathomas [42]	To explore participants’ broad experiences of exercise and arthritis	Not reported	United Kingdom	Arthritis	8^a (7 female, 1 male) 70.9 (65–79)	Sample recruited from an open invite to individuals with arthritis. Participants cited exercise experiences.	Life-story interview	Thematic analysis
Jayakaran et al. [43]	To explore the attitudes of individuals with a below-knee amputation towards PA	Not reported	New Zealand	Below-knee amputation	7 (7 male) 65.15 (58–79)	Sample recruited from an open survey invite to amputees	Interview	General inductive approach
Kanavaki et al. [44]	To understand how PA and sedentary behaviour are actualised and experienced in the daily lives of people living with knee and hip rheumatoid arthritis and how these link to people’s sense of well-being	Social-cognitive theory	United Kingdom	Osteoarthritis	3^a (2 women, 1 man)	Sample recruited from an outpatient clinic	Interview	Inductive thematic analysis
Kunkel et al. [45]	To explore the views and experiences of people with Parkinson’s and their dance partners to identify factors that may influence the benefits and enjoyment whilst participating in partnered ballroom and Latin American dance classes	Not reported	United Kingdom	Parkinson’s disease (Hoehn & Yahr stage 3+)	8^a (4 female, 4 male) 74.25	10-week programme consisting of twice-weekly ballroom and Latin American dance classes taught by professional instructors	Interview	Framework analysis
Lange et al. [46]	To explore aspects of participation in moderate- to high-intensity exercise with person-centered guidance influencing the transition to independent exercise for older adults with rheumatoid arthritis	Not reported	Sweden	Rheumatoid arthritis	16 (11 female, 5 male) 70.6 (67–76)	Moderate-to-high-intensity exercise intervention with person-centred guidance in gym settings	Interview	Content analysis
Larmer et al. [47]	To explore the perceived benefits of hydrotherapy from a patient’s perspective	Not reported	New Zealand	Osteoarthritis	13^a,b (56–80+)	Hydrotherapy programme in the local area.	Focus group	General inductive approach
Law et al. [48]	To describe the perceptions of the effects of exercise on joint health among rheumatoid arthritis patients	Not reported	United Kingdom	Rheumatoid arthritis	9^a (4 female, 5 male) 67.89 (65–76)	Circuit-basedexercise programme at a local hospital	Focus group	Content analysis
Lee et al. [49]	To explore older adults with knee osteoarthritis’ perceptions and experience of an exercise programme	Not reported	Hong Kong	Osteoarthritis	51 (4 female, 1 male) 75.20	Low-to-moderate intensity, home exercise regimen consisting of range of motion, stretching, and strengthening exercises, to be performed daily, with four 1-h weekly supervised group sessions	Interview	Content analysis
Lee et al. [50]	To explore the barriers andfacilitators to PA in individuals living with LLA	Theoretical domains framework	Canada	Lower limb amputations	3^a (3 men) 68.33	Participant’s self-reported metabolic task equivalent estimation.	Interview	Thematic analysis
Maiers and Salsbury [51]	To understand older adults’ perceptions toward the worthwhileness of treatment for chronic spinal disability in general and how study treatments were viewed as beneficial or not for these conditions	Not reported	USA	Spine-related conditions	50 (34 female, 16 male) 68	Supervised exercise sessions (in combination with chiropractic spinal manipulations)	Interview	Template analysis
McKevitt et al. [52]	To investigate how people with osteoarthritis experience PA in the context of comorbidity, and how best to support people with osteoarthritis and comorbidity to be more active	Not reported	United Kingdom	Osteoarthritis	13 (11 female, 2 male) 74.9	Sample recruited from community groups	Interview	Thematic analysis
Moody et al. [53]	To explore the benefits and gain insight into motivating older adults in the delivery of the group water-based exercise classes	Not reported	New Zealand	Osteoarthritis	17 (13 female, 4 male) 78 (68–89 years)	Water-based exercise programme as part of arandomised controlled trial	Focus group and interview	General inductive approach
O’Brien et al. [54]	To explore the positive and negative aspects and outcomes of a progressive resistance strength training programme for adults with Parkinson’s disease	Phenomenological theoretical framework	Australia	Parkinson’s disease (Hoehn & Yahr stage 3+)	3^a 71.33	Participants who completed a 10-week progressive resistance strength training programme, which involved two supervised group sessions weekly and one individual session at home (sessions < 60 min)	Interview	Grounded theory
Petursdottir et al. [55]	To increase knowledge andunderstanding of the experience of exercising among individuals with osteoarthritis and to determine what they perceive as facilitators and barriers to exercising	Not reported	Iceland	Osteoarthritis	12 (9 female, 3 male) 67 (50–81)	Sample recruitment and inclusion criteria involved ascertaining previous exercise experiences from participants.	Interview	Phenomenological analysis
Stødle et al. [56]	To highlight what motivates older people to participate and adhere to group exercise programmes in local community settings	Salutogenic framework	Norway	Various disease states and physical functional issues	7 (3 men, 4 women) 81–92 years	Supervised strength and balance retraining programme in the community	Interview	Phenomenological analysis
Stone and Baker [57]	To explore facilitators and barriers toward regular PA participation	Not reported	Canada	Osteoarthritis	3^a (2 female, 1 male) 74	Sample recruited from an open invite to people with arthritis	Interview	Thematic analysis
Thomas et al. [58]	To explore the experiences, perspectives and strategiesemployed by people with rheumatoid arthritis who are successfully engaging with regular PA	Not reported	United Kingdom	Rheumatoid arthritis	5^a (3 female, 2 male) 65–84	Open invite to individuals with rheumatoid arthritis diagnosis and who undertook PA for ≥ 30 min on ≥ 3 days weekly	Interview	Inductive thematic analysis

^aOnly data for eligible participants presented in the research article were included.

^bGender breakdown for the overall sample (n = 15) was 12 females and three males. Although the older adults in the sample could not be identified, the average age would have exceeded 64;

PA: physical activity.

Figure 1. Summary of findings for each category in the scoping review. Note: The numbers indicate the total amount of sources for each finding.

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