Latino parents of children with developmental disabilities (DD) face elevated risk of depression, chronic pain, and other health disparities. While physical activity can support their well-being, little is known about the factors that influence their exercise participation. The purpose of this study was to explore factors that influence exercise participation among Latino parents of children with DD in Wisconsin, United States, and Puerto Rico. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews in Spanish. Participants were recruited employing purposive and snowball sampling strategies. Fifteen Latino parents (11 mothers and 4 fathers; 43.3 ± 6.83 years) of children aged 3 to 21 with developmental disabilities, residing in Wisconsin ( n = 7) and Puerto Rico ( n = 8), were interviewed. Interview data were transcribed and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Four themes related to the perceived barriers and facilitators to exercise participation were constructed: (1) the everyday struggles to exercise; (2) there are no places to exercise; (3) taking care of ourselves for them and for us; and (4) with support, we stay active. Latino parents highlight key barriers, including limited time, exhaustion, cultural expectations, financial constraints, and lack of program awareness. Despite these challenges, parents identified facilitators that either supported or could help their exercise participation, such as personal health goals, family support, and the use of creative planning strategies. These findings may support the design of culturally responsive strategies to increase physical activity participation and reduce health disparities in Latino families of children with developmental disabilities.
Concepción et al. (Fri,) studied this question.