JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mothers, especially those with low socioeconomic status and minoritized identities, encounter barriers to participating in physical activity (PA), a behavior that improves health outcomes. Moms on the Move (MOMs) is a community-based intervention developed to address the PA barriers endorsed by low income Black and Hispanic mothers. This program offered in-person group PA sessions held during children’s sports practices, goal-setting calls, and individually-tailored and motivation-matched materials.

Objective:

Participants’ engagement and satisfaction with the program, as well as perceived benefits and barriers, were explored.

Methods:

Exit interviews of 19 participants (58% Black or Hispanic, 42% with an annual household income < $40,000) who completed the MOMs pilot interventions were analyzed with directed content analysis.

Results:

Participants were generally satisfied with the program, noting benefits including increased motivation to maintain PA beyond the length of the program. Barriers included scheduling conflicts and inclement weather. Three emergent themes framed participants’ evaluation of program success: accountability, accessibility, and ability. Accountability referred to group support that facilitated motivation. Accessibility was described as the appreciation for resources provided by the intervention program, including the provision of exercise equipment. Finally, participants discussed how their shared identity with other mothers increased their sense of ability (or self-efficacy) to engage in PA, which was especially true for participants who described little to no engagement in PA prior to the intervention.

Conclusions:

Findings from this study support the integration of in-person group PA interventions delivered during youth sports practices for predominantly low-income, Black and Hispanic mothers and women caretakers. Clinical Trial: NCT05461742