Barriers, facilitators, and factors influencing the perceived feasibility of family-based physical activity: the role of socioeconomic status

Fountain, SM, Cooper, SB ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5219-5020, Williams, RA ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1346-7756, Sunderland, C ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7484-1345, Bowes, A ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5635-106X and Dring, KJ ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9647-3579, 2025. Barriers, facilitators, and factors influencing the perceived feasibility of family-based physical activity: the role of socioeconomic status. Advanced Exercise and Health Science. ISSN 2950-273X

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Abstract

The facilitators and barriers to family-based physical activity, child and parent perceptions of the factors influencing their perceived feasibility of family-based physical activity, and the impact of socioeconomic status on these, are relatively unexplored. This study aimed to determine the barriers and facilitators to, and factors influencing the perceived feasibility of, family-based physical activity, with consideration of the impact of socioeconomic status. Focus groups and separate parent and child interviews were conducted with 24 families (n = 79; 37 parents, 42 children) in the East Midlands, UK, who were categorised into low (deciles 1–3; 5 families), middle (deciles 4–7; 8 families), or high (deciles 8–10; 11 families) socioeconomic status using the UK index of multiple deprivation score, 2019. Regardless of socioeconomic status, parental role modelling was a key facilitator, whilst high cost and lack of free time were barriers for all families. In addition, low socioeconomic status families discussed child role modelling as a facilitator, and the access to and provision of local facilities as a barrier to physical activity, whilst this was a facilitator for middle-high socioeconomic status families. Regardless of socioeconomic status, when discussing factors influencing the perceived feasibility of family-based physical activity, differing levels of fitness between children and parents was a factor mentioned across generations. All parents thought family-based physical activity would allow for quality family-time, whilst younger children (8–12 years old) expressed that family-based physical activity sessions would feel safe. Thus, family-based physical activity may offer a promising opportunity to increase physical activity in children and parents concurrently, allowing for quality family-time, while providing a safe environment for younger children to exercise whilst utilising parent and child role modelling. Multi-level family physical activity programmes embedded within the community, which incorporate low-cost activities, work- and school-life balance strategies and support for parents’ fitness are crucial to support families (from a range of socioeconomic backgrounds) in increasing their physical activity levels. The design and development of future physical activity programmes should consider establishing family-based physical activity with younger children (8–12 years old) with the integration of team sports.

Item Type:	Journal article
Publication Title:	Advanced Exercise and Health Science
Creators:	Fountain, S.M., Cooper, S.B., Williams, R.A., Sunderland, C., Bowes, A. and Dring, K.J.
Publisher:	Elsevier
Date:	6 August 2025
ISSN:	2950-273X
Identifiers:	Number Type 10.1016/j.aehs.2025.07.002 DOI S2950273X25000451 Publisher Item Identifier 2492413 Other
Rights:	© 2025 the author(s). Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BYNC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Divisions:	Schools > School of Science and Technology
Record created by:	Jonathan Gallacher
Date Added:	03 Sep 2025 09:28
Last Modified:	03 Sep 2025 09:28
URI:	https://irep.ntu.ac.uk/id/eprint/54285

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