Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Mar-Apr;36(2):143-155.
doi: 10.1097/JNC.0000000000000517. Epub 2024 Dec 24.

What Motivates Older Sedentary People Living With HIV in the United States to Participate in an Exercise Trial? A Qualitative Study

Evelyn Iriarte  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 , Allison R Webel  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 , Paul F Cook  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 , Ashley Turner  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 , Grace L Ditzenberger  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 , Kristine M Erlandson  1   2   3   4   5   6   7 , Catherine Jankowski  1   2   3   4   5   6   7
Affiliations

What Motivates Older Sedentary People Living With HIV in the United States to Participate in an Exercise Trial? A Qualitative Study

Evelyn Iriarte et al. J Assoc Nurses AIDS Care. 2025 Mar-Apr.

Abstract

Although exercise supports the physical function and health of older people living with HIV (PLWH), less than half of PLWH globally achieve recommended levels of activity. A qualitative descriptive design was used to determine what motivates sedentary PLWH, 50 years and older, to participate in an exercise trial. Interviews were conducted with PLWH who participated in an exercise trial ( n = 30) and PLWH who declined enrollment in the same exercise trial ( n = 4). The theory of planned behavior (TPB) guided a directed content analysis of the interviews. Data analysis identified four themes: (a) intention or motivation (perceived benefits, maintaining the exercise behavior over time), (b) attitudes (goals and preferences), (c) perceived behavioral control (barriers, facilitators, and self-efficacy), and (d) subjective norms (pressure from health care providers and social networks). Findings from our study contribute to informing the development of future exercise interventions or trials and to planning care to encourage a physically active lifestyle.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Disclosures

The authors report no real or perceived vested interests related to this article that could be construed as a conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Themes and Categories for Participation in an Exercise Trial according to the Theory of Planned Behavior
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Ajzen I. (1991). The Theory of Planned Behavior. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 50(2), 179–211. 10.1016/0749-5978(91)90020-T - DOI
    1. Attwood S, Morton KL, Mitchell J, Van Emmenis M, & Sutton S (2016). Reasons for non-participation in a primary care-based physical activity trial: A qualitative study. BMJ Open, 6(5), e011577. 10.1136/bmjopen-2016-011577 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Campbell LM, Sun-Suslow N, Heaton A, Heaton RK, Ellis RJ, Moore DJ, & Moore RC (2022). Fatigue is associated with worse cognitive and everyday functioning in older persons with HIV. AIDS (London, England), 36(6), 763–772. 10.1097/QAD.0000000000003162 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). HIV Surveillance Report: Diagnoses of HIV Infection in the United States and Dependent Areas, 2021. https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/149071/cdc_149071_DS1.pdf
    1. Chen C, Cao X, Xu J, Jiang Z, Liu Z, McGoogan J, & Wu Z (2023). Comparison of healthspan-related indicators between adults with and without HIV infection aged 18–59 in the United States: a secondary analysis of NAHNES 1999–March 2020. BMC Public Health, 23(1), 1–12. 10.1186/s12889-023-15538-6 - DOI - PMC - PubMed