Supporting Black African Students to Engage More in Physical Activity

A Qualitative Study of Lived Experiences in the Midlands, UK

Bibliographic Data

ID12288622
AuthorsSamuel Baffour Kyei (0000-0002-4979-2526, University of the West of England, corresponding author), Frances Howie (0000-0001-8056-7311, University of Worcester)
EditorsDavid Littlefair (0000-0001-5342-493X)
Year2024
Volume2024
Issue1
Publication date2024-01-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueHealth & Social Care in the Community (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0966-0410 • E-ISSN: 1365-2524
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1155/2024/2551260
OpenAlexW4401635108
LanguageEN
References cited45

Aim . To explore how Black African international students adjust to their new university environment and gain insight into how they feel supported to engage in physical activity (PA). Background . People from ethnic minority backgrounds have poor physical activity levels compared with white populations in the UK. The Black population is known to have the lowest PA levels among the ethnic minority groups in the UK. This trend is suggested to be the case among university students, but no research has examined this. Ethnic minority students, including international students, encounter adaptation difficulties such as cultural barriers and social isolation which affect their university experiences and health behaviours such as physical activity. Methodology . This was a qualitative method, with in‐depth semistructured interviews conducted with five African students (two males and three females) aged between 21 and 40 years from a university in the West Midlands. The transcribed interviews were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s thematic analysis. Results/Findings . Culture and lifestyle of physical activity; knowledge, experience, and self‐motivation; the effect of various social groups, activities, and services at the university; and weather variations and physical settings were the identified themes. The key finding of the study is that respondents engaged in PA to a greater extent at the British university than they did in their home countries. This was due to a combination of factors, including low‐cost gym memberships and events and a general lack of racial or gender‐based discrimination. Conclusions/Recommendations . Participants expressed satisfaction with the cultural and social support systems at their university, such as sports clubs and societies, and mental health support services that encouraged them to learn about and engage more in physical activity. Although some barriers, such as weather variations, were mentioned, various indoor options coupled with cheaper gymnasiums motivated students to remain or become active. Understanding the experiences of minority student groups in physical activity could help in reviewing current provisions and extending them to a wider population

Lived experience · Medical education · Physical activity · Physical therapy · Psychotherapist · Qualitative research · Social science · Sociology · Medicine · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Physical Activity and Health · Psychology · Urban Transport and Accessibility · Gender Studies