title: Adaptations to achieve physical activity in rural communities.
abstract: This multiple, descriptive, explanatory case study design described and explained the perceptions of rural women regarding rural built environments conducive to physical activity. Sources of data included women's focus groups, city council focus groups, city administrator and clerk interviews, women's verification individual interviews, individuals referred to the researcher as individuals with perceived power, and analysis of documents. The study involved two rural communities with populations of 1,000 or less, and data were collected between March 2006 and April 2007. Content analysis of each data source and a combined data source analysis for each community was completed using NVivo7. Rural women adapted to conditions of built environments, seasonal concerns, wild animals, traffic control issues, other people, and personal needs. Adaptation emerged as a central theme in the women's focus groups as a way rural women engaged in physical activity.
authors.affiliation: jgangeness@bemidjistate.edu
authors.forename: Jeanine Esther
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Gangeness
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D017144:Focus Groups; D006801:Humans; D012424:Rural Population