A woman's work is never done: The role of gender in leisure-time physical activity

Background/Significance: Physical inactivity contributes to many health problems. Nationally, women report less physical activity than men. Gender, the socially constructed roles and activities deemed appropriate for men and women, is an important factor in women's physical inactivity. Objective/Purpose: Through qualitative analysis, determine the gender-based factors which contribute to physical inactivity for women and identify gender-based opportunities which would enable physical activity. Methods: Focus groups of low-income women, teenagers, business women, new mothers, low-income seniors, active seniors, social service providers, migrant Hispanic women, and American Indian women and men were conducted and transcribed. The transcriptions were analyzed to determine common themes across focus groups. Results: Several gender-based constraints emerged including women's roles as caregiver which left little time or energy for physical activity, women's leisure time activities and hobbies such as knitting and reading which were less active than men's hobbies, and expectations for women's appearance which made them uncomfortable sweating in front of strangers. Gender -based opportunities included women's enjoyment of activity as a social connection, less rigid gender roles for younger women, and a sense of responsibility to set a good example for their families. Discussion/Conclusion: While time is frequently mentioned as a barrier to physical activity for women, a deeper understanding of gender-based constraints and opportunities provide a framework for addressing specific issues related to time such as a woman's role as caregiver.