LGBTQ+ college students report more barriers, less benefits to physical activity and sport participation: A quantitative and qualitative study

Objective: To examine perceived benefits and barriers to physical activity (PA) and sports participation among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, other (LGBTQ+) college students and their cis-gender, heterosexual counterparts (non-LGBTQ+). Participants: Participants were 101 college students. Methods: A modified Exercise Benefits and Barriers Scale (m-EBBS) assessed perceived benefits and barriers to PA. Multivariate ANOVA assessed differences in perceptions between the two groups. Open-ended survey questions and interviews assessed qualitative descriptions of perceived benefits and barriers from LGBTQ+ students. Results: LGBTQ+ students reported more perceived barriers, fewer perceived physical and mental benefits of PA, and fewer positive social outcomes of PA compared to non-LGBTQ+ students. LGBTQ-specific barriers to PA included Accessibility, Gender Binary, Discomfort from Other User’s Behaviors, Perceived Discrimination, Lack of Knowledge, and Visibility. LGBTQ-specific barriers to sports participation included Safety as a concern. Conclusion: Future research is needed to examine methods to reduce PA barriers faced by LGBTQ+ students.