A social ecological exploration of physical activity influences among rural men and women across life stages

Abstract

Social ecological models have been used to study physical activity (PA) influences of rural women across life stages. However, few, if any, studies have used these models in conjunction with qualitative methods to explore rural men’s PA perceptions or to concurrently explore rural men’s and women’s PA perceptions across life stages. This study adopted a social-ecological framework and thematic analysis to explore influences of men’s (n = 14) and women’s (n = 19) PA across midlife (i.e. ages 44–59) and older age (i.e. ages 60+), within a rural Midwestern community in the USA. The results revealed that social (e.g. family) and cultural influences (e.g. division of labour within the family) affected intrapersonal PA influences (e.g. physical self-perceptions, not having time). These influences had distinct and nuanced meanings for men and women across life stages, a finding that advances understandings of men’s and women’s rural PA from a social-ecological perspective. PA promotion efforts in a rural setting should view gender and age as complex sociocultural constructions that differentially impact the interplay of social-ecological influences.

Keywords:

• rural
• physical activity
• social ecological
• gender
• midlife and older adults

Acknowledgement

This publication was supported by Cooperative Agreement Number 5U48DP000034-05 from the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention through the University of Iowa Prevention Research Centre. This grant was received by the first author. The findings and conclusions in this journal article are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The author(s) disclose receipt of the following financial support for the research: Cooperative Agreement Number 5U48DP000034-05 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through the University of Iowa Prevention Research Center.