Ways into physical (in)activity: The role of critical life events and transitions in the reconstructions of young adults

Abstract

Background Physical activity (PA), sport, and exercise levels generally tend to fluctuate or decline from childhood to adulthood. Life events and transitions may have a positive or negative impact on these behaviors. However, most research in this regard is quantitatively framed and we know little about why and how life events and transitions affect PA-related behaviors. Objectives The aim of this study is to understand when, why, and how individuals change their daily PA, sport, and exercise behaviors and related attitudes in the context of life events and transitions and what underlying dynamics promote these changes from a subjective perspective. Methods Forty-six young inactive adults (33 women) aged between 20 and 40 years from the iReAct study participated in a mixed-method biographical mapping, which combines a semi-structured interview with a drawing activity to explore subjective experiences of life events, transitions, and PA-related behaviors across the life span. To analyze data, we conducted a reflexive thematic analysis. Results We developed three overarching themes that reflect the underlying dynamics which are associated with the occurrence of critical life events and transitions and lead to subsequent changes in daily PA and sport and exercise behavior: (1) The finitude of temporal resources; (2) The plasticity of priorities and motives; and (3) The (in)conveniences of context. Conclusion Our results illustrate that there is not a straight causal link between life events and behavior. Rather, critical life events and transitions can have a tremendous impact on temporal resources, individual priorities and motives, and contextual factors, such as the physical and infrastructural environment and social settings and relationships. Consequently, more or less extensive changes in those circumstances can lead to individual adaptations in daily PA or sport and exercise and related attitudes, as they require individuals to re-balance behavioral patterns.