Barriers and enablers to physical activity for urban Aboriginal youth: A focused ethnographic study

Background: Aboriginal youth are over represented among those experiencing overweight and obesity. The fundamental cause of obesity is an energy imbalance between calories consumed, and calories expended through physical activity (P.A). Urban Aboriginal youth are a fast growing population, yet little is known about the value they place on physical activity, or the role that barriers and enablers play in attaining quality P.A. Methods: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the beliefs and behaviours regarding culture and physical activity in urban Aboriginal youth. This study employed the qualitative methodology of ethnography and the data collection methods of field notes, participant observation and interviews (15-21 years; N=15) at an urban Aboriginal high school. Results: The findings from this study show that urban Aboriginal youth value P.A. However multiple barriers reduce their ability to be active. Barriers reported include: money, built environment safety, location of current P.A programming, and quality and quantity of current P.A programming. Participants also described how enablers increased their P.A. Enablers included: cultural events such as powwows, roundances, and hunting along with family involvement, group activity, and their school. Participants reported multiple ways to increase P.A such as: increasing encouragement from friends, teachers, and parents as well as more competitive events in P.A programming. Conclusion: These findings highlight the need to develop P.A programming for Aboriginal youth that is sensitive to the barriers that this cultural group faces. Additionally, findings from this study could be used to improve current programming for urban Aboriginal youth.