Physical activity from children’s perspectives: facilitators and barriers in the city

The aim of the research was to analyse children’s perceptions of physical activity necessary to them as well as its context evaluating facilitators and barriers. Methods used. The qualitative research employed the interview, observation and visual diary methods. The qualitative data were processed via content analysis method. Results. Research results showed that physical activity levels of children living in apartment districts were rather low. In their personal, social and physical environment children come across barriers hindering their physical activity, and its facilitators are not always favourable to realize their desires. Research results suggest that formal PA depends on external factors - family income and examples they can follow, and informal PA is more linked to the developed PA habits and internal need to move. It has been found that children lack knowledge about PA benefits to their health, and the analysis of their PA conceptions suggests that PA is a good means to meet new people and to develop children’s social skills. Conclusions. Research findings have shown that children’s physical fitness may depend on the environmental factors and their facilitators. The personal environment, family income, influence of teachers at school and safe physical environment encourage children to spend much more time being physically active. However, children come across different PA barriers. Poor family income, parents’ lack of time for their children, poorly conducted physical education lessons as well as poor physical environment make children spend more time at home playing computer games and watching television