title: Barriers to physical activity: a study of self-revelation in an online community.
abstract: The importance of regular physical activity to overall health has been well established, yet adults in the United States are leading increasingly sedentary lives. Research suggests that lowering perceived barriers to exercise is an effective strategy for encouraging physical activity. This article describes the top barriers that emerged from a qualitative analysis of message board traffic from a three-month healthy lifestyle intervention that promoted physical activity and healthy eating. The findings further elaborate known barriers to physical activity-two of which are not reported as key barriers in prior research-and illustrate the value of a grounded approach to studying health and fitness behaviors. Based on our analysis, we identify design considerations for technologies that encourage and support physical activity. Understanding the needs of a population is a critical step in the design process, and this paper offers unique insights for those working in this growing domain.
authors.affiliation: School of Informatics, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47408, USA. ttoscos@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Tammy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Toscos
authors.forename: Sunny
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Consolvo
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: McDonald
mesh_terms: D057225:Data Mining / Q000379:methods; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D009042:Motivation; D012650:Self Disclosure; D020377:Self Efficacy; D014481:United States; D014956:Writing