Sharma Rachit, Chaudhary Monika
The IIHMR University, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India.
Health Promot Int. 2021 Mar 12;36(1):89-100. doi: 10.1093/heapro/daaa028.
The prevalence of physical inactivity in India is estimated to be at 34%, the highest among South Asian nations. Interventions, such as outdoor gymnasiums/gyms, aiming to promote physical activity, are becoming popular worldwide, including in India. This paper presents the first empirical evidence on outdoor gyms in India from a qualitative perspective. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews of 56 outdoor gym stakeholders-40 users, 10 non-users, 4 healthcare providers and 2 outdoor gym implementing municipality authorities were conducted in the National Capital Region of India. The interviews were transcribed and analyzed through the Framework Method. The qualitative findings present the perceived benefits, barriers/challenges to using and provide insights for further improving and scaling up outdoor gyms in India. Health enhancement in the form of improved general fitness, body weight control and diversification of physical exercise routines, social connectivity, easy accessibility, affordability, green outdoor surroundings, and a place of intrigue and attraction in respective parks were the major reported benefits of outdoor gyms. Low gym equipment to user ratio was one of the major challenges to gym use across the user group. Healthcare providers and non-users were majorly concerned about the potentially incorrect and unsupervised use of outdoor gym equipment. Major suggestions for improvement were increasing the number of equipment installed, regular equipment maintenance, and the presence of an on-site physical exercise trainer. Outdoor gymnasiums present as a viable option for promoting physical activity and should be scaled up systematically to improve the health of the populations across India and other similar nations.
据估计，印度缺乏体育锻炼的人口比例达34%，在南亚国家中位居榜首。旨在促进体育活动的干预措施，如户外健身房，在全球范围内越来越普遍，印度也不例外。本文从定性角度首次提供了关于印度户外健身房的实证证据。在印度国家首都地区，对56位户外健身房利益相关者进行了半结构化深度访谈，其中包括40位使用者、10位非使用者、4位医疗保健提供者以及2位负责实施户外健身房项目的市政当局人员。访谈内容经转录后采用框架法进行分析。定性研究结果呈现了人们所感知到的户外健身房的益处、使用过程中的障碍/挑战，并为印度进一步改进和扩大户外健身房提供了见解。户外健身房的主要益处包括：以提高总体健康水平、控制体重和丰富体育锻炼方式等形式实现健康提升、社交联系、便捷可达、价格亲民、绿色户外环境以及成为各自公园中一个有趣且吸引人的场所。健身器材与使用者比例低是整个用户群体使用健身房的主要挑战之一。医疗保健提供者和非使用者主要担心户外健身器材可能被错误使用且无人监管。主要改进建议包括增加器材安装数量、定期进行器材维护以及配备现场体育锻炼教练。户外健身房是促进体育活动的一个可行选择，应系统地扩大规模，以改善印度及其他类似国家民众的健康状况。
