Exploring the categorization of barriers to physical activity and their associations with leisure time physical activity and body mass index in a sample of Jamaican adults.

Background Over 80% of Jamaicans are not meeting World Health Organization physical activity guidelines, and over 50% are overweight or obese. Research on barriers to physical activity and their associations with physical activity engagement among Jamaican adults is limited. This study explores the measurement and categorization of barriers to physical activity in Jamaican adults to inform the design and implementation of behavioral physical activity-promoting interventions. Purpose This study applied a psychometric approach to explore the perception of barriers to physical activity and their associations with leisure time physical activity (LTPA) and body mass index (BMI) in Jamaican adults. Methods A total of 506 Jamaican adults completed self-report measures of demographic data, height, and weight (to calculate BMI), barriers to physical activity, and LTPA in a cross-sectional survey design. Exploratory structural equation modeling was used to determine the best-fitting model for responses to the barriers to physical activity (BPA) scale. Structural equation modeling was used to examine the associations among BPA, LTPA, and BMI. Results A 15-item BPA scale with 2 categories of barriers was identified: (1) psychosocial (PS-BPA; 7 items; eg, lack of self-motivation or confidence) and (2) environmental/demographic (ED-BPA; 8 items; safety or financial/cost issues) was identified. PS-BPA but not ED-BPA meaningfully associated with LTPA. LTPA was negatively associated with BMI. Conclusions Psychosocial barriers may at least partially explain why most Jamaican adults do not meet global physical activity guidelines. Psychosocial correlates of physical activity should be emphasized when investigating and targeting physical activity barriers in behavioral interventions among Jamaican adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]