Analysis of the Barriers and Motives for Practicing Physical Activity and Sport for People with a Disability: Differences According to Gender and Type of Disability

Citation: Ascondo, J.; Martín-López, A.; Iturricastillo, A.; Granados, C.; Garate, I.; Romaratezabala, E.; Martínez-Aldama, I.; Romero, S.; Yanci, J. Analysis of the Barriers and Motives for Practicing Physical Activity and Sport for People with a Disability: Differences According to Gender and Type of Disability. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph20021320 Academic Editor: Paul B. Tchounwou Received: 17 November 2022 Revised: 28 December 2022 Accepted: 5 January 2023 Published: 11 January 2023 Copyright: © 2023 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health Article Analysis of the Barriers and Motives for Practicing Physical Activity and Sport for People with a Disability: Differences According to Gender and Type of Disability Josu Ascondo 1, Andrea Martín-López 2, Aitor Iturricastillo 3, Cristina Granados 3, Iker Garate 1, Estibaliz Romaratezabala 3, Inmaculada Martínez-Aldama 1, Sheila Romero 4and Javier Yanci 3,* 1 Physical Education and Sport Department, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain 2Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain 3 Society, Sports and Physical Exercise Research Group (GIKAFIT), Physical Education and Sport Department, Faculty of Education and Sport, University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU, 01007 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain 4Disability Research Department, Fundación GaituzSport Fundazioa, 48003 Bilbao, Spain *Correspondence: javier[email protected] Abstract: The aim of the study was to analyse the perception of the barriers and motives for the practice of physical activity (PA) in people with a disability, according to gender and type of disability. The participants in this investigation were 103 people with a disability (33.25 ± 11.86 years) who were habitual users of PA or sports programmes. They completed the questionnaire Motives and Barriers for Physical Activity and Sport (MBAFD). The results showed that personal barriers were more important than environmental ones and that the most outstanding motives were those related to leisure, enjoyment or social aspects. Regarding gender, women perceived more barriers than men. For the people with physical (PD) and intellectual (ID) disabilities, the most common barriers were of an intrinsic nature, and for those with a visual disability (VD), barriers of an environmental nature. With respect to the motives, people with PD gave higher scores to the items related to aspects of physical improvement and rehabilitation. In contrast, people with ID and VD placed more importance on reasons of leisure, enjoyment and social relations. Knowledge of these findings can be a tool to help increase the provision of PA for people with a disability. Keywords: motor practice; motivation; habits; impediments; disability 1. Introduction Worldwide there are about 650 million people with a disability, which corresponds to about 10% of the world population [ 1 ]. Specifically in Spain, it is estimated that about 4.38 million people have some type of disability, of whom 58.7% are women and 41.3% are men [ 2 ]. Despite the fact that people with a disability have the right to participate in society under equal conditions as the rest of us [ 3 ], it has been reported that this population has greater difficulties for participating in society, due to the fact that they suffer a high level of social exclusion which affects fields including education or participation in different social activities [ 4 ]. This situation means that people with a disability are subject to the stereotypes, stigmas and prejudices established by society. It has also been reported that this group more often faces different barriers regarding social and/or political communication and accessibility, among others, which affect their general wellbeing and prevent them from having equal opportunities [5]. One of the strategies for improving general wellbeing and encouraging equal opportunities in people with a disability is the practice of physical activity (PA) [ 6 , 7 ]. It has been stated that the practice of PA can help them gain greater inclusion in society [ 8 , 9 ]. Some previous investigations have observed that the practice of PA brings them psychological benefits, improving self-esteem, autonomy, goal achievement, personal development, Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20021320 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/ijerph Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 2 of 13 self-control and self-confidence [ 9 , 10 ]. Furthermore, it has been shown that the practice of PA has social benefits as it favours inclusion and social relation [ 9 , 10 ]. As well as the psychological and social benefits, some researchers [ 11 , 12 ] state that the practice of PA by people with a disability also provokes physical benefits such as better fitness, the ability to execute movements and functionality permitting greater autonomy and self-sufficiency. Bearing in mind that it has been said that the practice of PA benefits this population both in their physical and mental health [ 13 ], it is necessary for them to have adequate levels of PA practice. However, there are many studies that show that people with a disability have a lower level of PA than people without a disability [ 14 – 17 ] revealing a high level of sedentarism [ 18 – 20 ]. In this line of research, it has been reported that people who suffer some types of disability are between 16 and 62% less likely to comply with the recommended levels of PA and present a greater risk of developing health complications as a result of physical inactivity [ 21 ]. Similarly, Ramírez et al. [ 22 ] in a study of an adult population with disability observed that only 29% of the participants carried out more than the 60 min daily recommended by the World Health Organisation [ 23 ] and that 51% of the women and 40.7% of the men were categorised as sedentary. In order to favour the practice of PA in people with a disability, it has been stated that it is necessary, on the one hand, to know the motives and, on the other, the barriers that are perceived regarding the practice of PA [ 7 , 24 ]. In this way, action can be taken to adjust the provision of PA to their motivations and take action to minimise the barriers they perceive. Possibly, due to the importance of these results, previous studies have analysed the motives for and barriers to the practice of PA both in people with a disability who are not habitual practitioners of PA or sport [ 25 – 27 ] and in sportspeople or habitual practitioners of PA with a disability in different modalities, at different competitive levels and with different impairments [ 28 – 33 ]. Moreover, it has been shown that there are significant differences in the perception of barriers between different disabilities. On the one hand, Juanbeltz et al. [ 32 ] found that people with intellectual disability (ID) show a greater refusal to engage in PA because they do not like it compared to people with Down Syndrome. On the other hand, people with physical disabilities (PD) give more weight to not feeling able to make time for PA compared to people with ID. However, most studies have been carried out with groups with a specific disability, with limited samples or without taking types of disability or gender of the participants into consideration. The majority of the studies expound the need to carry out an analysis of the motives and barriers in larger samples and study the differences according to the type of disability and gender. Therefore, the objectives of the present study were, on the one hand, to discover the perception of the barriers to and motives for the practice of PA and sport of people with a disability and, on the other, to analyse the differences which exist in the perception of the motives and barriers according to gender and the type of disability. The hypotheses of this study were that women perceive more barriers to practice PA than men, people with ID and/or PD perceive intrinsic barriers to a greater extent than environmental barriers and people with VD perceive environmental barriers to a greater extent than intrinsic barriers 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Participants The participants in this study were 103 people with a disability between 15 and 57 years of age (33.25 ± 11.86 years), of whom 40 were women (36.85 ± 11.64 years) and 63 were men (30.96 ± 11.51 years). All the participants were habitual users of some type of physical exercise or sports programme carried out in the Basque country (Spain), with a mean of 14.38 ± 10.40 years’ experience in such activities. Of the total number of participants, 29.1% had a physical disability (PD, n= 30, 35.46 ± 11.19 years), 34.0% an intellectual disability (ID, n= 35, 29.85 ± 12.64 years), 34.0% a visual disability (VD, n= 35, 33.91 ± 11.41 years) and 2.9% did not respond to the question of what type of disability they had (n= 3, 43.0 ± 2.64 years). The inclusion criteria were that the subjects had been carrying out PA and sport at least for the previous two years and that they had a disability certificate. The project was approved by the Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 3 of 13 Ethics Committee for Research with Humans Beings (CEISH, code M10_2019_058) from the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) and followed the requirements established in the Declaration of Helsinki (2013). 2.2. Procedures The questionnaire Motives for and Barriers to the Practice of Physical Activity and Sport (MBAFD) was administered to all the participants in the study in order to know their perception of the barriers and motives for practising PA and sport. The questionnaire was filled in by each participant individually, on paper and in the presence of the researcher. In the case that the participant so requested, the researchers offered clarifications to each of the questions raised in the questionnaire. Before completing the questionnaire, all the participants received detailed information of the procedure for its adequate completion. 2.3. Measurements The questionnaire on Motives for and Barriers to the Practice of Physical Activity and Sport MBAFD was used to discover the barriers and motives perceived by the participants when they performed PA and sport. It was previously validated by Kostiuk [ 34 ] for the adult population and has been used by several researchers in people with disabilities who practice PA and sport [ 29 , 32 , 33 ]. Kostiuk [ 34 ], in a validation study, analysed a small sample of people with a disability, reiterating the suitability of the instrument for this specific group. The questionnaire used consists of 53 items or questions divided into two blocks: the first block (27 items) refers to the barriers to the practise of PA and sport, and the second block (26 items) deals with the motives for practising PA and sport. All the questions are answered using a Likert-type scale (1–4) where 1 is not at all and 4 a lot; it includes, also, the option of don’t know/no opinion (DK/NO). 2.4. Statistical Analsysis The descriptive results are presented as frequencies and percentages of the replies given by the participants in each item or question. Cronbach’s Alpha statistic was used to describe the internal consistency of the questionnaire. The chi squared statistic (Chi 2 ) was used to analyse the differences according to gender and type of disability in the distribution of the replies. The analyses were performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS Inc, version 26.0, Chicago, IL, USA). Statistical significance was established at p< 0.05. 3. Results The internal consistency (Cronbach’s Alpha) of the total items (n= 53 items) was 0.84. Regarding between-items’ internal consistency of the different blocks, Cronbach’s alpha values were as follows: 0.86 for the first block (barriers to the practise of PA and sport, n= 27 items) and 0.83 for the second block (motives for practising PA and sport, n= 26 items). Table 1presents the results of the barriers perceived by all the participants for the practice of PA and sport. The results obtained show that the most important items with regard to the barriers were the following: “I have a disability”, “I don’t feel happy with my body”, “I don’t feel like it”, “I am not able to make time for myself”, “My health is not good” and “The technical staff are not suitable”. In contrast, the items “I don’t think it is necessary to do exercise”, “I don’t like it”, “I am too old”, “I am embarrassed to be seen doing it” and “There is no provision for the activity I like” presented the lowest values. Table 2shows the results of the motives for practising PA and sport perceived by the total sample of participants. The highest values were obtained with the items “Because I like doing this physical activity”, “Because of the positive sensations that doing physical activity gives me”, “Because I feel good when I do physical activity”, “For enjoyment” and “To make contact with other people“. In contrast, the items “To share activities with my children”, “To spend more time with my partner”, “To recover from an illness or injury” and “Because of my doctor’s advice” showed the lowest values. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 4 of 13 Table 1. Results (%) referring to the barriers to the practice of physical activity and sport perceived by all the participants in the study. Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot I don’t think it is necessary to do exercise 89.2 4.9 4.9 1.0 I don’t like it 85.1 8.9 4.0 2.0 I am too old 82.5 9.7 3.9 3.9 I don’t feel able 81.6 13.6 4.9 0.0 I have to look after my children 80.6 7.8 5.8 5.8 My current job prevents me 78.2 16.8 3.0 2.0 I am embarrassed to be seen doing it 77.7 15.5 2.9 3.9 I don’t know where to do exercise 77.7 9.7 4.9 7.8 I have to look after older relatives 74.8 12.6 7.8 4.9 There is no provision for the activity I like 72.8 14.6 6.8 5.8 It is too expensive 71.8 20.4 6.8 1.0 The spaces where I can practise are not suitable 68.9 19.4 9.7 1.9 Difficulties with transport 67.0 20.4 7.8 4.9 I am tired 66.0 19.4 10.7 3.9 I have no one to do exercise with 65.7 20.6 7.8 5.9 I don’t feel happy with my body 63.0 21.0 13.0 3.0 Fear of hurting myself 61.2 26.2 7.8 4.9 There are no spaces nearby where I can practise 60.8 20.6 11.8 6.9 I am not fit 59.8 24.5 11.8 3.9 I haven’t got the habit 57.3 25.2 11.7 5.8 I don’t feel like it 56.3 20.4 14.6 8.7 I have to do the housework 52.9 23.5 18.6 4.9 The technical staff are not suitable 52.5 17.8 17.8 11.9 My health is not good 51.5 27.2 12.6 8.7 I can’t make time for myself 50.5 33.0 14.6 1.9 Incompatible timetables 47.6 37.9 9.7 4.9 I have a disability 44.1 16.7 17.6 21.6 Table 2. Results (%) referring to the motives for practising physical activity and sport perceived by all the participants in the study. Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot To share activities with my children 87.1 8.9 1.0 3.0 To spend more time with my partner 79.2 8.9 6.9 5.0 To recover from an illness or injury 66.0 15.5 7.8 10.7 Out of obligation 62.1 17.5 9.7 10.7 Because of my doctor’s advice 46.6 18.4 25.2 9.7 Because it allows me to be in natural surroundings 33.0 23.3 19.4 24.3 To control my weight 30.1 14.6 30.1 25.2 Because I feel bad if I don’t practise 28.7 35.6 19.8 15.8 Because it’s time just for me 20.6 15.7 27.5 36.3 To improve my appearance 18.4 28.2 30.1 23.3 Because I like to overcome challenges 17.6 11.8 30.4 40.2 To eliminate stress 14.7 35.3 21.6 28.4 Because I enjoy learning new things 12.7 17.6 22.5 47.1 To meet my friends 7.8 23.3 22.3 46.6 To make contact with other people 6.8 14.6 28.2 50.5 Because I want it to be part of my life style 5.9 7.8 42.2 44.1 To keep fit 4.9 16.5 32.0 46.6 To improve my mood 4.9 23.5 39.2 32.4 To improve my mental wellbeing 3.9 23.3 33.0 39.8 To improve my physical capacity 3.9 16.5 38.8 40.8 To disconnect for a while 2.9 19.4 36.9 40.8 Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 5 of 13 Table 2. Cont. Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot Because I like doing this physical activity 2.0 8.8 16.7 72.5 Because I feel good when I do physical activity 1.9 12.6 22.3 63.1 For enjoyment 1.9 11.7 26.2 60.2 To improve my physical health 1.9 18.4 35.0 44.7 Table 3shows the results referring to the barriers to the practice of PA and sport according to gender. The group of women scored higher values (p< 0.05) than the group of men in the items “Fear of hurting myself”, “My health is not good”, “The technical staff are not suitable”, “I don’t feel like it”, “I am not fit”, “I have no one to do exercise with” and “I don’t like it”. However, the men’s group only had higher scores (p< 0.05) in one single barrier (“I am too old”). It should be noted that gender differences would change when the type of disability is taken into account. Table 3. Results (%) referring to the differences in the perceived barriers to practising physical activity and sport according to gender. WOMEN MEN Chi2 Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot p Fear of hurting myself 55.0 25.0 17.5 2.5 65.1 27.0 1.6 6.3 0.027 I am embarrassed to be seen doing it 75.0 15.0 5.0 5.0 79.4 15.9 1.6 3.2 NS I don’t feel happy with my body 60.0 20.0 17.5 2.5 65.0 21.7 10.0 3.3 NS My current job prevents me 79.5 12.8 5.1 2.6 77.4 19.4 1.6 1.6 NS I am too old 67.5 15.0 7.5 10.0 92.1 6.3 1.6 0.0 0.007 I am tired 60.0 20.0 15.0 5.0 69.8 19.0 7.9 3.2 NS It is too expensive 67.5 27.5 5.0 0.0 74.6 15.9 7.9 1.6 NS The technical staff are not suitable 33.3 30.8 20.5 15.4 64.5 9.7 16.1 9.7 0.010 The spaces where I can practise are not suitable 72.5 17.5 10.0 0.0 66.7 20.6 9.5 3.2 NS There are no spaces nearby where I can practise 64.1 17.9 10.3 7.7 58.7 22.2 12.7 6.3 NS I don’t like it 79.5 10.3 10.3 0.0 88.7 8.1 3.2 0.0 0.046 I can’t make time for myself 45.0 35.0 20.0 0.0 54.0 31.7 11.1 3.2 NS I don’t feel like it. 37.5 32.5 20.0 10.0 68.3 12.7 11.1 7.9 0.016 I don’t know where to do exercise 80.0 10.0 2.5 7.5 76.2 9.5 6.3 7.9 NS I have to look after my children 70.0 10.0 12.5 7.5 87.3 6.3 1.6 4.8 NS I don’t feel able 72.5 17.5 10.0 0.0 87.3 11.1 1.6 0.0 NS I am not fit 42.5 32.5 20.0 5.0 71.0 19.4 6.5 3.2 0.029 Difficulties with transport 67.5 22.5 5.0 5.0 66.7 19.0 9.5 4.8 NS I have no one to do exercise with 55.0 20.0 17.5 7.5 72.6 21.0 1.6 4.8 0.026 I have to do the housework 40.0 30.0 20.0 10.0 61.3 19.4 17.7 1.6 NS My health is not good 32.5 32.5 17.5 17.5 63.5 23.8 9.5 3.2 0.007 Incompatible timetables 35.0 52.5 7.5 5.0 55.6 28.6 11.1 4.8 NS I haven’t got the habit 47.5 27.5 17.5 7.5 63.5 23.8 7.9 4.8 NS There is no provision for the activity I like 65.0 20.0 12.5 2.5 77.8 11.1 3.2 7.9 NS I don’t think it is necessary to do exercise 84.6 7.7 7.7 0.0 92.1 3.2 3.2 1.6 NS I have to look after older relatives 67.5 17.5 10.0 5.0 79.4 9.5 6.3 4.8 NS I have a disability 32.5 17.5 27.5 22.5 51.6 16.1 11.3 21.0 NS NS = non-significant differences. Table 4presents the results on the motives for practising physical activity according to gender. The women’s group obtained significantly higher values (p< 0.05) in the motives “For the positive sensations that doing physical activity gives me”, “Because I want it to be part of my life style”, “To recover from an illness or injury”, “Because of my doctor’s advice” and “To spend more time with my partner”. In contrast, the men’s group recorded higher values (p< 0.05) in the items “For enjoyment”, “Because I like to overcome challenges”, “To disconnect for a while” and “To eliminate stress”. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 6 of 13 Table 4. Results (%) referring to the differences in the perceived motives for practising physical activity and sport according to gender. WOMEN MEN Chi2 Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot p To recover from an illness or injury 50.0 20.0 15.0 15.0 76.2 12.7 3.2 7.9 0.030 To control my weight 20.0 10.0 37.5 32.5 36.5 17.5 25.4 20.6 NS To keep fit 2.5 12.5 40.0 45.0 6.3 19.0 27.0 47.6 NS Because I feel good when I do physical activity 2.5 15.0 30.0 52.5 1.6 11.1 17.5 69.8 NS Because it’s time just for me 25.0 20.0 32.5 22.5 17.7 12.9 24.2 45.2 NS To meet my friends 2.5 27.5 25.0 45.0 11.1 20.6 20.6 47.6 NS For enjoyment 2.5 20.0 35.0 42.5 1.6 6.3 20.6 71.4 0.025 Because I enjoy learning new things 15.4 25.6 20.5 38.5 11.1 12.7 23.8 52.4 NS To improve my physical health 2.5 15.0 37.5 45.0 1.6 20.6 33.3 44.4 NS To improve my mental wellbeing 5.0 25.0 42.5 27.5 3.2 22.2 27.0 47.6 NS Because I like doing this physical activity 2.5 7.5 22.5 67.5 1.6 9.7 12.9 75.8 NS To eliminate stress 12.5 45.0 30.0 12.5 16.1 29.0 16.1 38.7 0.018 To improve my mood 5.1 23.1 51.3 20.5 4.8 23.8 31.7 39.7 NS To make contact with other people 5.0 12.5 37.5 45.0 7.9 15.9 22.2 54.0 NS To spend more time with my partner 66.7 20.5 7.7 5.1 87.1 1.6 6.5 4.8 0.012 Because I feel bad if I don’t practise 23.1 38.5 25.6 12.8 32.3 33.9 16.1 17.7 NS Because I like to overcome challenges 23.1 15.4 43.6 17.9 14.3 9.5 22.2 54.0 0.004 Because I want it to be part of my life style 0.0 10.0 57.5 32.5 9.7 6.5 32.3 51.6 0.019 For the positive sensations that doing physical activity gives me 0.0 5.0 42.5 52.5 3.2 9.5 17.5 69.8 0.033 Because it allows me to be in natural surroundings 45.0 27.5 15.0 12.5 25.4 20.6 22.2 31.7 NS Out of obligation 52.5 25.0 12.5 10.0 68.3 12.7 7.9 11.1 NS Because of my doctor’s advice 30.0 15.0 37.5 17.5 57.1 20.6 17.5 4.8 0.007 To improve my appearance 12.5 20.0 45.0 22.5 22.2 33.3 20.6 23.8 NS To improve my physical capacity 5.0 15.0 50.0 30.0 3.2 17.5 31.7 47.6 NS To disconnect for a while 5.0 27.5 45.0 22.5 1.6 14.3 31.7 52.4 0.021 To share activities with my children 78.9 15.8 2.6 2.6 92.1 4.8 0.0 3.2 NS NS = non-significant differences. Table 5shows the results referring to the differences in the perceived barriers to the practice of PA and sport according to the type of disability. People with PD recorded higher values (p< 0.05) than people with VD and ID in the items “I can’t make time for myself“, “My health is not good”, “I don’t feel happy with my body” and “I have to look after my children”. In contrast, the items “I don’t feel like it”, “I’m tired” and “I have to look after older relatives” obtained higher scores (p< 0.05) in the group of people with ID. The group of participants with VD recorded higher scores (p< 0.05) in the item “There are no spaces nearby where I can practise”. Table 6presents the results referring to the differences in the perceived motives for practising PA and sport according to the type of disability. The items “To control my weight”, “To recover from an illness or injury”, “To improve my appearance”, “Because of my doctor’s advice” and “To share activities with my children” obtained a higher score (p< 0.05) in people with PD than those with ID or VD. However, the items “To make contact with other people” and “Because it allows me to be in natural surroundings” had higher scores (p< 0.05) in people with ID. For their part, the people with VD recorded higher scores (p< 0.05) in the items “Because I like doing this physical activity”, “For enjoyment”, “Because I like to overcome challenges”, “Because I want it to be part of my life style”, “To improve my mental wellbeing” and “Because I feel bad if I don’t practise”. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 7 of 13 Table 5. Results (%) referring to the differences in the perceived barriers to practising PA and sport according to the type of disability. PD ID VD Chi2 Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot p Fear of hurting myself 70.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 48.6 34.3 8.6 8.6 62.9 25.7 5.7 5.7 NS I am embarrassed to be seen doing it 60.0 26.7 3.3 10.0 82.9 14.3 2.9 0.0 85.7 8.6 2.9 2.9 NS I don’t feel happy with my body 50.0 26.7 23.3 0.0 65.6 9.4 15.6 9.4 74.3 22.9 2.9 0.0 0.020 My current job prevents me 83.3 10.0 3.3 3.3 87.9 12.1 0.0 0.0 65.7 25.7 5.7 2.9 NS I am too old 73.3 13.3 6.7 6.7 82.9 8.6 5.7 2.9 91.4 8.6 0.0 0.0 NS I am tired 66.7 26.7 3.3 3.3 60.0 14.3 20.0 5.7 77.1 20.0 2.9 0.0 0.001 It is too expensive 60.0 26.7 10.0 3.3 71.4 25.7 2.9 0.0 85.7 5.7 8.6 0.0 NS The technical staff are not suitable 31.0 27.6 27.6 13.8 68.6 14.3 5.7 11.4 55.9 11.8 20.6 11.8 NS The spaces where I can practise are not suitable 76.7 20.0 3.3 0.0 74.3 20.0 5.7 0.0 57.1 20.0 17.1 5.7 NS There are no spaces nearby where I can practise 66.7 23.3 3.3 6.7 77.1 11.4 11.4 0.0 41.2 29.4 14.7 14.7 0.006 I don’t like it 86.2 10.3 3.4 0.0 70.6 14.7 8.8 5.9 97.1 2.9 0.0 0.0 NS I can’t make time for myself 30.0 30.0 40.0 0.0 71.4 20.0 2.9 5.7 48.6 45.7 5.7 0.0 0.000 I don’t feel like it 50.0 26.7 16.7 6.7 45.7 17.1 17.1 20.0 77.1 14.3 8.6 0.0 0.017 I don’t know where to do exercise 76.7 16.7 3.3 3.3 77.1 5.7 5.7 11.4 77.1 8.6 5.7 8.6 NS I have to look after my children 66.7 13.3 10 10.0 94.3 5.7 0.0 0.0 82.9 2.9 8.6 5.7 0.038 I don’t feel able 80.0 13.3 6.7 0.0 77.1 17.1 5.7 0.0 88.6 8.6 2.9 0.0 NS I am not fit 60.0 23.3 6.7 10.0 61.8 14.7 20.6 2.9 60.0 31.4 8.6 0.0 NS Difficulties with transport 66.7 26.7 6.7 0.0 65.7 25.7 5.7 2.9 65.7 11.4 11.4 11.4 NS I have no one to do exercise with 56.7 20.0 13.3 10.0 61.8 23.5 5.9 8.8 74.3 20.0 5.7 0.0 NS I have to do the housework 43.3 26.7 23.3 6.7 61.8 17.6 14.7 5.9 57.1 25.7 14.3 2.9 NS My health is not good 33.3 30.0 20.0 16.7 51.4 40.0 5.7 2.9 68.6 14.3 11.4 5.7 0.026 Incompatible timetables 33.3 50.0 10.0 6.7 62.9 31.4 2.9 2.9 45.7 37.1 14.3 2.9 NS I haven’t got the habit 36.7 30.0 23.3 10.0 62.9 20.0 8.6 8.6 71.4 22.9 5.7 0.0 NS There is no provision for the activity I like 66.7 16.7 6.7 10.0 77.1 8.6 5.7 8.6 77.1 17.1 5.7 0.0 NS I don’t think it is necessary to do exercise 83.3 13.3 3.3 0.0 82.9 2.9 11.4 2.9 100.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 NS I have to look after older relatives 76.7 16.7 6.7 0.0 71.4 11.4 8.6 8.6 82.9 5.7 8.6 2.9 0.022 I have a disability 27.6 20.7 20.7 31.0 48.6 14.3 22.9 14.3 54.3 17.1 8.6 20.0 NS PD = physical disability, ID = intellectual disability, VD = visual disability, NS = non-significant differences. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 8 of 13 Table 6. Results (%) referring to the differences in the perceived motives for practising PA and sport according to type of disability. PD ID VD Chi2 Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A lot Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot Not at All Somewhat Quite a Lot A Lot p To recover from an illness or injury 36.7 20.0 13.3 0.0 71.4 17.1 5.7 5.7 88.6 5.7 5.7 0.0 0.000 To control my weight 16.7 13.3 36.7 33.3 17.1 20.0 28.6 34.3 57.1 11.4 22.9 8.6 0.007 To keep fit 3.3 10.0 26.7 60.0 5.7 14.3 31.4 48.6 5.7 25.7 31.4 37.1 NS Because I feel good when I do physical activity 0.0 10.0 36.7 53.3 5.7 20.0 11.4 62.9 0.0 5.7 20.0 74.3 NS Because it’s time just for me 20.7 17.2 37.9 24.1 20.0 8.6 20.0 51.4 20.0 22.9 25.7 31.4 NS To meet my friends 13.3 30.0 26.7 30.0 8.6 11.4 14.3 65.7 2.9 25.7 28.6 42.9 NS For enjoyment 0.0 20.0 33.3 46.7 5.7 14.3 22.9 57.1 0.0 0.0 20.0 80.0 0.022 Because I enjoy learning new things 20.0 20.0 26.7 33.3 14.3 25.7 14.3 45.7 2.9 8.6 25.7 62.9 NS To improve my physical health 3.3 13.3 40.0 43.3 2.9 25.7 20.0 51.4 0.0 17.1 42.9 40.0 NS To improve my mental wellbeing 3.3 43.3 26.7 26.7 8.6 20.0 25.7 45.7 0.0 8.6 42.9 48.6 0.028 Because I like doing this physical activity 0.0 6.7 23.3 70.0 5.9 11.8 17.6 64.7 0.0 2.9 11.4 85.7 0.013 To eliminate stress 10 56.7 16.7 16.7 26.5 23.5 23.5 26.5 5.7 31.4 20.0 42.9 0.013 To improve my mood 10.3 27.6 41.4 20.7 5.7 20.0 31.4 42.9 0.0 20.0 45.7 34.3 NS To make contact with other people 13.3 20.0 40.0 26.7 8.6 2.9 20.0 68.6 0.0 17.1 28.6 54.3 0.005 To spend more time with my partner 86.7 6.7 3.3 3.3 70.6 11.8 8.8 8.8 80.0 8.6 8.6 2.9 NS Because I feel bad if I don’t practise 30.0 40.0 26.7 3.3 42.9 34.3 11.4 11.4 11.8 32.4 23.5 32.4 0.028 Because I like to overcome challenges 23.3 16.7 36.7 23.3 28.6 11.4 14.3 45.7 0.0 8.6 40.0 51.4 0.016 Because I want it to be part of my life style 3.3 3.3 56.7 36.7 14.3 8.6 31.4 45.7 0.0 5.9 44.1 50.0 0.003 For the positive sensations that doing physical activity gives me 0.0 6.7 40.0 53.3 5.7 17.1 22.9 54.3 0.0 0.0 20.0 80.0 NS Because it allows me to be in natural surroundings 30.0 30.0 26.7 13.3 40.0 5.7 17.1 37.1 25.7 37.1 14.3 22.9 0.044 Out of obligation 70.0 23.3 6.7 0.0 60.0 17.1 11.4 11.4 57.1 11.4 11.4 20.0 NS Because of my doctor’s advice 23.3 26.7 33.3 16.7 42.9 17.1 31.4 8.6 74.3 14.3 8.6 2.9 0.003 To improve my appearance 13.3 26.7 43.3 16.7 11.4 25.7 25.7 37.1 31.4 34.3 22.9 11.4 0.047 To improve my physical capacity 3.3 13.3 53.3 30.0 8.6 11.4 28.6 51.4 0.0 22.9 40.0 37.1 NS To disconnect for a while 6.7 33.3 36.7 23.3 2.9 17.1 37.1 42.9 0.0 8.6 34.3 57.1 NS To share activities with my children 79.3 13.8 0.0 6.9 97.1 2.9 0.0 0.0 88.2 8.8 0.0 2.9 0.000 PD = physical disability, ID = intellectual disability, VD = visual disability, NS = non-significant differences. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023,20, 1320 9 of 13 4. Discussion The main objective of this study was to discover the perception of barriers to and motives for the practice of PA and sport in people with a disability, also analysing the existing differences depending on gender and type of disability. Most studies on this topic have not taken into account the gender and type of disability of the participants [ 28 , 29 , 31 , 33 ]. This is why the contribution of this paper is the analysis of the aforementioned motives and barriers in a wider sample than that habitually used and the distinguishing among the type of disability and the gender of the participants. The results obtained in this study show that personal barriers are more important than environmental barriers and that the motives that received the highest scores were those related to leisure, enjoyment and social aspects. Regarding the gender of the participants, the women perceived more barriers than the men to the practice of PA and sport. With respect to the type of disability, we found differences both in the barriers and in the motives for practising PA and sport. Intrinsic barriers predominate in people with PD and ID, and environmental barriers predominate in people with VD. Among the motives for practising PA and sport, the people with ID and VD gave higher scores to motives of leisure, enjoyment and social relations, while the people with PD focussed more on physical improvement and rehabilitation. These findings can be of great use in knowing which are the existing motives and barriers regarding the practice of PA and sport in people with a disability and, thus, to be able to offer different physical-sporting activities that are attractive for people with a disability and be able to increase the levels of practice. Knowing the motives for and barriers to the practice of PA and sport perceived by people with a disability can provide information for acting according to their needs and for being able to increase the levels of PA and sport practice [ 30 ]. The findings of the present study show that the most important perceived barriers were those of an intrinsic/personal nature—including, for example, “I have a disability”, “I don’t feel happy with my body”, “I don’t feel like it”, among others—while there is only one environmental barrier with a high score: “The technical staff are not suitable”. These results coincide with previous studies where it was observed that the most important barriers were of an intrinsic nature. For example, Juanbeltz et al. [ 32 ], in a study carried out with active people with PD, also observed that the most important barriers were personal (“I have a disability”, “My health is not good”, “I don’t feel like it”, etc.). Similarly, Mendia et al. [ 33 ], in a study carried out with athletes with ID and cerebral palsy (CP) that competed in the Spanish soccer Liga Genuine, reported that the barriers that obtained the highest scores were those of a personal character, such as “I don’t feel happy with my body“ and “I don’t feel like it”. In contrast to the findings of this study, Abellán and Januário [ 28 ] in athletes with ID; Avalos et al. [ 29 ] in athletes with VD practising goalball; and Jaarsma, Gertzen, et al. [ 30 ] in Dutch Paralympic athletes with PD, both ambulant and using wheelchairs, reported that the major barriers were of an environmental nature. Possibly these differences in the perception of the personal or environmental barriers can be due to how the disability affects the individuals. People with a disability that have a more limited access to the practice of PA and sport may perceive greater environmental barriers, but people with less limited accessibility may perceive personal barriers to a greater extent. With respect to the motives for practising PA and sport, the results obtained in the present study indicate that the main motives for practicing PA and sport show a strong play-, recreationand social-oriented nature: “Because I like doing this physical activity”, “For the positive sensations that doing physical activity gives me”, “Because I feel good when I do physical activity“, “For enjoyment”, “To make contact with other people”. In contrast, the less important motives for practising were “To share activities with my children”, “To spend more time with my partner” and “Because of my doctor’s advice or for rehabilitation”. The results obtained referring to the motives in our study coincide with the studies by Avalos et al. [ 29 ] carried out with goalball players with VD, by Jaarsma, Geertzen et al. [ 30 ] with Dutch Paralympic athletes, by Juanbeltz et al. [ 32 ] with physically active athletes with a disability and by Mendia et al. [ 33 ] with football players from the Liga Genuine with