ArticleBMJ open2026
'You know they don't want you there': a qualitative study examining barriers and facilitators to physical activity among Traveller and Roma communities in Ireland.
Article in BMJ open, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveAddressing the health and well-being of ethnic minority groups in Ireland is an ongoing priority for policymakers. Traveller and Roma communities experience pronounced health inequities that restrict opportunities for physical activity (PA) and exercise. This study aimed to examine the key barriers and facilitators shaping PA and exercise engagement among Traveller and Roma individuals in Ireland.
settingCommunity-based in Ireland.
designInterview and focus group-based qualitative study guided by the COM-B (Capability, Opportunity, Motivation-Behaviour) model and Theoretical Domains Framework.
resultsParticipants reported key barriers to PA and exercise included: social influences (eg, discrimination, a lack of representation in PA and exercise environments, family or peer discouragement); environmental context and resources (eg, exclusion and access to facilities, a lack of facilities, finances, competing priorities); social/professional role and identity (eg, cultural identity conflict, gender roles) and knowledge (eg, lack of knowledge on what PA/exercise is, limited understanding of guidelines, language and/or literacy barriers). Facilitators included: environmental context and resources (eg, affordable, locally accessible facilities, mobile or satellite services helped overcome logistical barriers); social/professional role and identity (eg, culturally sensitive, gender-specific activities) and knowledge (eg, targeted health education and community workshops).
conclusionThis study identified interconnected barriers and facilitators influencing PA participation among Traveller and Roma communities, including low health literacy, cultural norms, financial constraints and experiences of exclusion, alongside strong community bonds and culturally relevant programming. Mapping these findings onto the COM-B model and Theoretical Domains Framework showed that behaviour change requires addressing individual capabilities, social and environmental opportunities and motivational factors. Co-designed, culturally safe and peer-supported programmes, supported by targeted outreach and structural barrier reduction, are essential to fostering sustained engagement and reducing health inequalities.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.