A Study of the Physical Activity Experience Among Postmenopausal Women Without Regular Exercise

• Main Authors: Mai-Hsin Lai, 賴美信
• Other Authors: Chii Jeng
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2003
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/66276527857864261638

碩士 === 臺北醫學大學 === 護理學系 === 91 === This study is aimed at exploring the physical activity experience among postmenopausal women who did not have regular exercise. Research is designed as quantitative approach, by means of in-depth interview assisting with questionnaires and investigations. Data collection employ a convenience sampling approach, targeting 11 postmenopausal women who did not pursued regular exercise in the south area of Taiwan. Research data included the physical activity experiences, physical activity status in usual days and holidays. Research data had been analyzed by different methods: first, content analysis were applied to find the category and themes. Secondly, questionnaire and investigation data had been calculated by the SPSS program, the calculation outcome including percentage and mean, which could help to understand the category and themes. Physical activity experience among postmenopausal women included three themes, they are “habitual life styles”, “negative thoughts”, and “barriers for regular exercise”. The major physical activity is “works for families”, “leisure for quite from physical symptoms”, and “living within chores / occupation / leisure time physical activity”. In lives, postmenopausal women who did not have regular exercise tend to have “negative thoughts” about regular exercise. They thought regular exercise as “may be injury”, “interfere with regular family process”, “a burden of physical body”, and uncertainty about health benefits from exercise as they believed exercise was “insignificant to health benefits”. In the moment of exercise, the subjects faced some “barriers for regular exercise”, such as “can’t be allowed by time”, “lack of support systems”, and “lack of motivation”. In the category of “can’t be allowed by time” appeared two subcategories one is “have no time”, the another one is “time schedule can not be matched”; In category of “lack of support system” also included two subcategories, which is “lack of supports from families” and “lack of exercise knowledge”. In category of “lack of motivation”, there are two subcategories one is “as uninterested”, and the rest one is that the subject believed it was “not necessary in maintaining physical health status”. The conclusion of this study found that, postmenopausal women without regular exercise had “negative thoughts” about regular exercise; and they have some “barriers for regular exercise”, which prevented them to do exercise regularly. So, their physical activities appeared with “habitual life styles” as a major live model. The results of this research can be contribute to heart disease prevention and treatment workers and women health workers in caring of postmenopausal women, which could reduce cost of medicine, and promoting women health.