Rural Appalachian Pickleball Players’ Motives, Benefits, and Barriers

Background: The obesity epidemic disproportionately affects older adults in rural areas, and physical activity levels within this population are insufficient to address the issue. Currently, there is research to support that pickleball can target motivations and overcome barriers to stimulate and maintain individuals’ participation in physical activity to achieve health-related benefits. However, the relationship between these concepts requires deeper investigation. Aims and Objectives: The purpose of this study is to investigate West Virginia pickleball players’ motivations to be physically active as well as be the first to relate these to their perceived benefits of their participation and barriers to being physically active. Materials and Methods: A sequential explanatory mixed-method approach was employed to gain greater insight into these relationships within a successfully growing sport. The design included: Phase 1 - an online survey distributed to state pickleball group participants; and Phase 2 - focus groups consisting of pickleball participants in four areas of the state. The content of the survey was adapted from previously validated instruments and peer-reviewed research to address pickleball players’ motives, benefits, and barriers of being physically active. Following, the focus group’s semi-structured script was drawn from the results of the survey. Results: Phase 1 yielded a sample of 65 participants while Phase 2 consisted of 16 participants. The pickleball players’ demonstrated a central tendency to be motivated by concepts of enjoyment (4.84), physical health (4.6), social health (4.43), psychological health (4.38), and competition (4.38). The central tendencies of the perceived benefits of playing pickleball emphasized social health (4.68), enjoyment (4.56), and physical health (4.6). Thematic analyses of the pickleball players’ motivations demonstrated a wide range of key themes that align with concepts implemented within the survey: psychological health, social health, competition, enjoyment, physical health, and mastery. Key themes of the pickleball players’ perceived benefits were associated with concepts of physical health, psychological health, social health, and competition, and the participants discussed barriers related to concepts of physical health and cultural influences. Moreover, the focus group data further defined accessibility as a key concept related to the participants’ motivations and barriers to play pickleball. The primary investigator and fellow student researcher also noted a potential barrier posed by the pickleball players’ contrasting inclinations towards competitive or social gains. Conclusion: Overall, pickleball participation was strongly related with older adults’ subjective well-being within the results of both phases of this study. The insight into the relationships between the pickleball players’ motives, perceived benefits, and perceived barriers can assist in increasing participants’ adherence within various physical activity programs or interventions. These results hypothesize that programs or interventions that activities which address this relationship will be successful in retaining participants and achieving health-related benefits from increased physical activity levels.