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The exercise of daily life: towards an understanding of physical activity in the daily lives of low-income single mothers

University of British Columbia

Low-income women are more likely to experience poor health and less likely to be physically active. However, most of the research has only considered physical activity from the culturally dominant norm of fitness, recreation and leisure. Activity performed in the context of daily life outside the program setting has not been investigated, especially not for low-income single mothers who are marginalized within the dominant culture. The purpose of this study is to explore the meaning and practice of physical activity in the daily lives of low-income single mothers. Three women between the ages of 28 and 32 participated in this study, recruited from a housing project for low-income single mothers. A variety of established qualitative research methods were used to identify the practice of physical activity in daily life and investigate personal meanings. These methods included: a discussion group, individual in-depth interviews, and on-going field notes. Additional methods designed and assessed included: community assessment, community mapping exercise, physical activity logs, and participant observation. Analysis consisted of mapping data themes and interpreting these themes using a organizing framework based on the literature. Four primary analytic concepts for understanding the meaning and practice of physical activity in daily life emerged: work and leisure, well-being and health, quality of life, and power and control: This analysis, based on the organizing framework and use of new data collection techniques, makes an important contribution by challenging some of the dominant myths in the literature related to physical activity and low-income women. The assumption that low-income single mothers are the least active population needs to be revisited. Future research must also consider that physical activity may not be as stable as defined by the social-class literature. The practice of physical activity may both enhance and constrain positive health, as well as be experienced as both conforming to and resisting social norms. Finally, the negotiation of power at the level of the body demonstrates the potential for physical activity to contribute to self-esteem and personal empowerment.

Thesis/Dissertation

application/pdf

2009-05-23

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/8096

Human Kinetics

University of British Columbia

UBCV

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