1School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
Journal of Physical Activity Research.
2018,
Vol. 3 No. 1, 35-40
DOI: 10.12691/jpar-3-1-6
Copyright © 2018 Science and Education PublishingCite this paper: David Kahan, Hamza Amini, Maryan Osman. Formative Evaluation of a Pilot Study of a University Exercise Class for Female Muslims.
Journal of Physical Activity Research. 2018; 3(1):35-40. doi: 10.12691/jpar-3-1-6.
Correspondence to: David Kahan, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA. Email:
dkahan@sdsu.eduAbstract
Young adult Muslim women in western societies encounter barriers to exercise participation due in part to a lack of gyms offering women-only classes. Among university students, exercise might be further compromised by competing demands on time due to academics/work. We piloted a women-only exercise program (Sisters Exercising Together) for Muslims at one university in the southwest United States during the 2016-2017 academic year. We used attendance rosters (n = 6 participants), and focus group interview (n = 3) and informal interview (n = 47) techniques to assess the feasibility of and satisfaction with the program and to determine reasons for (low) attendance. Although conceptually well-received, intrapersonal factors related to perception of time, personal preferences, and motivation were most responsible for non-attendance. Potential courses of action for improving attendance should focus on improving self-regulation skills and enhancing social support.
Keywords