Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41044481›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Barriers and facilitators to physical activity in rural communities: using the Behaviour Change Wheel to identify intervention functions.

Chelsea Pelletier, Kirsten Ward, Cameron Aird, Mary Jung, Gloria Fox, Anne Pousette, Guy Faulkner

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Chelsea PelletierSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Human and Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, V2N 4Z9, Prince George, BC, Canada. chelsea.pelletier@unbc.ca.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8009-8014
Kirsten WardSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Human and Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, V2N 4Z9, Prince George, BC, Canada.
Cameron AirdSchool of Health Sciences, Faculty of Human and Health Sciences, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, V2N 4Z9, Prince George, BC, Canada.
Mary JungSchool of Health and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Development, University of British Columbia Okanagan, Kelowna, BC, Canada.
Gloria FoxPopulation and Preventive Public Health, Northern Health, Prince George, British Columbia, Canada.
Anne PousetteFaculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Guy FaulknerSchool of Kinesiology, Faculty of Education, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.

Funding

CIHR 170158
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPeople living in rural communities face increased barriers and fewer opportunities for regular participation in physical activity compared to those living in urban centers. This project aimed to map barriers and facilitators of physical activity in rural communities to the Theoretical Domains Framework and Behaviour Change Wheel to identify intervention functions.

methodsWe conducted individual semi-structured interviews with participants from rural communities in two sparsely populated regions in British Columbia, Canada. Interview questions were framed using the Theoretical Domains Framework and focused on beliefs and lived experiences of physical activity. Deductive analysis involved identifying barriers and facilitators to physical activity and mapping them to the Theoretical Domains Framework and capability, opportunity, and motivation (COM-B) of the Behaviour Change Wheel. Barriers and facilitators were used to identify potential intervention functions and policy levers to change physical activity behaviour in rural communities.

resultsParticipants included 46 individuals aged 22 to 77 years (36 women) living in rural communities (population size < 100-13,000 people). Barriers and facilitators to physical activity were predominant in the domains of Social Influences, Environmental Context and Resources, and Beliefs About Consequences. Specific barriers and facilitators were identified related to the availability of friends or family with whom to be physically active; weather-related factors; programming and infrastructure for physical activity; knowledge of local opportunities; and beliefs about healthy aging and fear of injuries. Based on mapping barriers and facilitators to the Behaviour Change Wheel, physical activity intervention strategies for rural communities should focus on environmental restructuring, modelling, and enablement.

conclusionTo improve physical activity in rural communities, interventions at municipal and provincial levels should focus on addressing barriers, such as infrastructure and policy supportive of physical activity, and leveraging existing facilitators, such as access to outdoor physical activity opportunities. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: not applicable.

Indexed as

ExerciseHealth BehaviorHealth PromotionRural PopulationAdultAgedBritish ColumbiaFemaleHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedMotivationQualitative ResearchYoung AdultBehaviour change wheelExercisePhysical activity behaviourRecreationRural healthSmall townTheoretical domains framework

Identifiers

PMID41044481
PMCPMC12495818

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.