Barriers and Facilitators to Physical Activity Among Black Older Adult Parishioners.

Abstract

Black older adults face unique barriers to engaging in physical activity (PA) and are less likely to exercise. Black churches have been regarded as crucial resources and supports for parishioners' mental and physical health. We sought to explore barriers and facilitators to PA among Black older adult parishioners as a first step to developing a web-platform companion to an evidence-based intervention for PA. We conducted two virtual focus group interviews (N = 19) with Black older adult parishioners in two Boston-area Black Churches. Barriers and facilitators to PA were assessed via rapid data analyses using mind mapping techniques. We identified four distinct barriers and three facilitators to PA among Black older adult parishioners. Findings underscore the importance of considering environmental and social factors to effectively improve PA among Black older adults.