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Table 4 Association of social environment barriers to physical exercise with the sociodemographic characteristics of the studied women

From: A cross-sectional study on the perceived barriers to physical exercise among women in Iraqi Kurdistan Region

Characteristic

Total no.

Somewhat of a barrier/very important barrier

Work

Not allowed by family

Harassment outside

Feeling shy

Lack of family support

Lack of self-confidence

Worried about how looks

No friend/family accompanying

No.

(%)

No.

(%)

No.

(%)

No.

(%)

No.

(%)

No.

(%)

No.

(%)

No.

(%)

Age group (years)

                 

18–25

162

108

(66.7)

75

(46.3)

100

(61.7)

80

(49.4)

78

(48.1)

56

(34.6)

44

(27.2)

99

(61.1)

26–35

122

100

(82.0)

40

(32.8)

63

(51.6)

49

(40.2)

52

(42.6)

33

(27.0)

39

(32.0)

65

(53.3)

36–45

106

87

(82.1)

27

(25.5)

48

(45.3)

41

(38.7)

36

(34.0)

32

(30.2)

25

(23.6)

57

(53.8)

46–55

74

53

(71.6)

17

(23.0)

33

(44.6)

30

(40.5)

29

(39.2)

22

(29.7)

16

(21.6)

46

(62.2)

> 55

36

18

(50.0)

8

(22.2)

17

(47.2)

9

(25.0)

12

(33.3)

14

(38.9)

10

(27.8)

16

(44.4)

P-value

 

< 0.001

< 0.001

0.040

0.072

0.156

0.569

0.515

0.255

Education level

                 

College

343

261

(76.1)

107

(31.2)

175

(51.0)

130

(37.9)

141

(41.1)

99

(28.9)

86

(25.1)

196

(57.1)

High school or lower

157

105

(66.9)

60

(38.2)

86

(54.8)

79

(50.3)

66

(42.0)

58

(36.9)

48

(30.6)

87

(55.4)

P-value

 

0.031

0.122

0.435

0.009

0.845

0.071

0.197

0.717

Marital status

                 

Ever married

281

206

(73.3)

81

(28.8)

137

(48.8)

110

(39.1)

111

(39.5)

84

(29.9)

65

(23.1)

157

(55.9)

Single

219

160

(73.1)

86

(39.3)

124

(56.6)

99

(45.2)

96

(43.8)

73

(33.3)

69

(31.5)

126

(57.5)

P-value

 

0.950

0.014

0.081

0.173

0.329

0.411

0.036

0.710

Number of children

                 

0

59

39

(66.1)

16

(27.1)

30

(50.8)

21

(35.6)

24

(40.7)

14

(23.7)

12

(20.3)

32

(54.2)

1

44

31

(70.5)

14

(31.8)

23

(52.3)

18

(40.9)

20

(45.5)

19

(43.2)

7

(15.9)

26

(59.1)

2

75

58

(77.3)

22

(29.3)

33

(44.0)

28

(37.3)

25

(33.3)

20

(26.7)

18

(24.0)

41

(54.7)

3

63

51

(81.0)

18

(28.6)

34

(54.0)

24

(38.1)

26

(41.3)

21

(33.3)

16

(25.4)

37

(58.7)

4 and more

40

27

(67.5)

11

(27.5)

17

(42.5)

19

(47.5)

16

(40.0)

10

(25.0)

12

(30.0)

21

(52.5)

P-value

 

0.293

0.988

0.679

0.795

0.742

0.202

0.588

0.953

Employment

                 

Employed

323

254

(78.6)

94

(29.1)

159

(49.2)

119

(36.8)

123

(38.1)

92

(28.5)

79

(24.5)

176

(54.5)

Not employed

60

27

(45.0)

21

(35.0)

31

(51.7)

29

(48.3)

27

(45.0)

22

(36.7)

15

(25.0)

36

(60.0)

Student

117

85

(72.6)

52

(44.4)

71

(60.7)

61

(52.1)

57

(48.7)

43

(36.8)

40

(34.2)

71

(60.7)

P-value

 

< 0.001

0.010

0.104

0.009

0.112

0.165

0.119

0.435

Ethnic groups

                 

Kurd

406

305

(75.1)

147

(36.2)

214

(52.7)

178

(43.8)

168

(41.4)

125

(30.8)

112

(27.6)

232

(57.1)

Others

94

61

(64.9)

20

(21.3)

47

(50.0)

31

(33.0)

39

(41.5)

32

(34.0)

22

(23.4)

51

(54.3)

P-value

 

0.044

0.006

0.636

0.054

0.984

0.540

0.409

0.611

Area of residence

                 

City center

455

328

(72.1)

153

(33.6)

233

(51.2)

188

(41.3)

188

(41.3)

141

(31.0)

117

(25.7)

256

(56.3)

Outside city

45

38

(84.4)

14

(31.1)

28

(62.2)

21

(46.7)

19

(42.2)

16

(35.6)

17

(37.8)

27

(60.0)

P-value

 

0.074

0.733

0.158

0.488

0.907

0.529

0.081

0.630

Economic status

                 

Fair or low

348

253

(72.7)

128

(36.8)

182

(52.3)

149

(42.8)

156

(44.8)

112

(32.2)

97

(27.9)

204

58.6)

Good

152

113

(74.3)

39

(25.7)

79

(52.0)

60

(39.5)

51

(33.6)

45

(29.6)

37

(24.3)

79

(52.0)

P-value

 

0.703

0.015

0.947

0.486

0.019

0.568

0.412

0.168

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