Work

Perceived Barriers for Physical Activity in Overweight and Obese Youth: A Scoping Review

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Background and Aims: Overweight and obesity among youth represent a critical public health issue, with physical activity (PA) serving as a cornerstone of effective weight management. Despite its significance, youth living with overweight and obesity (YLWOO) often encounter perceived barriers that hinder regular engagement in PA. The objective of this scoping review was to identify the perceived barriers to exercise in YLWOO. Methods: living with overweight or obesity. We subsequently performed a comprehensive search of the literature across multiple electronic databases, including PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and Scopus. Finally, we analyzed the extracted data using qualitative content analysis. Results: Sixty-four studies were included in this scoping review. Qualitative content analysis identified six primary categories of perceived barriers: environmental and structural, intrapersonal, interpersonal and social, psychological and emotional, behavioral and lifestyle, cultural and contextual. Across the 64 included studies, a total of 165 references to barriers were identified. Environmental and structural barriers were the most prevalent, accounting for 54, whereas cultural and contextual barriers were the least reported, with 10 references. Conclusion: This pioneering scoping review systematically maps the perceived barriers to PA for YLWOO, categorizing them into six principal themes. Environmental and structural barriers emerged as the most pervasive, underscoring a pressing need for policy-level attention. Conversely, cultural and contextual factors were the least cited, a finding which may itself reflect a relative paucity of investigation in these areas. This identifies a critical research gap warranting further inquiry and highlights the necessity for tailored, multi-level interventions to promote PA effectively within this population.

Source: Health Science Reports

DOI: 10.1002/hsr2.72719

Authors: Behnam Bagherzadeh, Neda Kabiri, Manoj Sharma, Hamid Allahverdipour

Institutions: Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Language: English

Topic: Physical Activity and Health

Subfield: Physiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,280