A systematic review of perceived barriers and motivators to physical activity after stroke

Sarah Nicholson* (Corresponding Author), Falko F. Sniehotta, Frederike Van Wijck, Carolyn A. Greig, Marie Johnston, Marion E.T. Mcmurdo, Martin Dennis, Gillian E. Mead

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

187 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background and purpose: Physical fitness is impaired after stroke, may contribute to disability, yet is amenable to improvement through regular physical activity. To facilitate uptake and maintenance of physical activity, it is essential to understand stroke survivors' perceived barriers and motivators. Therefore, we undertook a systematic review of perceived barriers and motivators to physical activity after stroke. Methods: Electronic searches of EMBASE, Medline, CINAHL, and PsychInfo were performed. We included peer-reviewed journal articles, in English, between 1 January 1966 and 30 August 2010 reporting stroke survivors' perceived barriers and motivators to physical activity. Results: Searches identified 73807 citations of which 57 full articles were retrieved. Six articles were included, providing data on 174 stroke survivors (range 10 to 83 per article). Two reported barriers and motivators, two reported only motivators, and two reported only barriers. Five were qualitative articles and one was quantitative. The most commonly reported barriers were lack of motivation, environmental factors (e.g. transport), health concerns, and stroke impairments. The most commonly reported motivators were social support and the need to be able to perform daily tasks. Conclusion: This review has furthered our understanding of the perceived barriers and motivators to physical activity after a stroke. This review will enable the development of tailored interventions to target barriers, while building upon perceived motivators to increase and maintain stroke survivors' physical activity.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)357-364
Number of pages8
JournalInternational Journal of Stroke
Volume8
Issue number5
Early online date13 Sept 2012
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jul 2013

Bibliographical note

The study was funded by The Stroke Association, through a Junior Research Fellowship award to Sarah Nicholson.

Keywords

  • Barriers
  • Motivators
  • Physical activity
  • Rehabilitation
  • Stroke
  • Therapy

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