Perceptions and Satisfaction with a Home-Based Exercise Guidance Program among People with Disabilities: An Exploratory Pilot Study

This study investigated perceived changes and satisfaction among people with disabilities participating in a home-based exercise guidance program.It also examined differences in program perceptions by disability type to explore participants' experiences and provide preliminary evidence for future research and program improvement.Researchers recruited 30 participants in a home-based exercise guidance program in Jeonbuk State, Republic of Korea, through convenience sampling.The participants included 21 individuals with physical disabilities and nine with brain lesion disabilities.A structured questionnaire assessed program perceptions, perceived physical, emotional, and social changes, satisfaction with exercise instructors, and satisfaction with program operation.Participants' general characteristics and satisfaction were analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations.Given the small sample size and low expected cell frequencies, differences in program perceptions by disability type were analyzed using the Fisher-Freeman-Halton exact test, with Cramér's V reported as a measure of association.The mean overall satisfaction score was 4.00±0.64.The highest-rated items were instructor professionalism (4.37±0.72),instructor kindness (4.23±0.86),frequency of home visits (4.20±0.96),and improved self-confidence (4.17±0.99).Scores were relatively lower for systematic program operation (3.57±1.07),duration of each session (3.67±1.21),and perceived improvement in walking ability (3.67±1.24).No significant differences between disability types were found in expectations before participation (p=.552) or perceived changes after participation (p=.185).However, expected future benefits differed significantly by disability type (p=.036).Participants with physical disabilities more frequently selected improvements in strength and physical fitness, whereas those with brain lesion disabilities more frequently selected improvements in activities of daily living and social and emotional functioning.Because these findings were based on a small exploratory sample, interpret them cautiously.Overall, participants perceived positive physical, emotional, and social changes after using the program and reported particularly high satisfaction with instructor professionalism and kindness.Systematic program operation and session duration were identified as areas requiring further consideration in future program implementation.