Table 6.

Representative participant quotes for themes related to the barriers and facilitators to physical activity participation.

Theme	Participant quotes
Availability of services and incentives	“Has anyone told that we’ve community rehabilitation centers to visit? ...we don’t have such rehabilitation services around our area, I don’t think we have such in the city even.” “No one has come to me and talked about doing exercises since I discharged from the hospital about 17 years ago.” “The thing is unlike for civil disabled people; we are given a monthly salary with an allowance. So, we don’t need to work hard on earning. You know then we have enough time to do some activities at home.”
Provision of prosthetic services	“Last year I was able to get a new prosthetic leg from a mobile social service program. I was directed to this by the president of our society. It is easy for me to work with this new one than the earlier one.”
Living as clusters in allocated villages	“As I think, there are about 24 villages in Sri Lanka that are reserved for veterans. So, all my neighbors are retired soldiers and the majority have the same disability like me. Normally we get together very often, and we can do exercises together.”
Kinship with family and peers	“I have to help my family members, especially my wife. She likes when I help to do household work. So, I should help with that work most of the time. She doesn’t care whether I’m doing exercises or not.” “My children don’t do their own work, so I have to help them as well, I have to bring them to school, tuition classes and stay there until they finish.”
Adequacy and quality of available resources	“There is no sufficient space at home to do exercises. If we have a separate room to continue exercises, it would be easier. I think none of us have that facility.” “Not having proper equipment is a barrier. I think to follow a physical rehabilitation program properly, we need suitable equipment.” “This prosthetic leg is the only means of mobility for me. But this is so heavy and already worn out. How can I do exercises with this? even it is difficult to walk with this.”
Access to necessary information and knowledge	“Although I want to do exercises, there is no one around to get proper information. But I do some exercises what I feel is good. Sometimes I do exercises to my leg using a sandbag as taught at the hospital.”
Knowledge and beliefs on recovery expectations and exercises	“Currently, I engage in many household activities like gardening and growing vegetables. I don’t feel it necessary to do any other special kind of exercise.” “...Yes, I engage in the normal day to day activities as much as I can. So, I think that is quite enough for the body as an exercise...” “We as soldiers had a good training on physical fitness and we know exercises better than a civil person. I mean before the injury we did exercises as part of our daily schedule in the Army.”
Ability to carry out physical activities and exercises	“The thing is I can’t use my body like I used to. Because my body, especially the back and the knee joints, start hurting when I start doing exercises. So, If I do exercises, I will not be able to do my normal routine the next day and sometimes I need to see a doctor after that to take medication for pain.” “For the sake of this prosthetic leg, I can walk when I want even as an exercise, otherwise I would just sit on a chair.”
Present stage of change	“I could manage to do the things and do exercises at this age but what will happen when I am old? I’m doing most of the activities in the paddy field because I have enough strength, because I’m still young.” “You know, most of us just eat and stay at one place and we are used to it, I don’t work as we did in the past, and even if I go somewhere, I just use my three-wheeler for that.”
Motivation for exercises	“...I don’t do exercises because I feel lazy to do...” “I don’t want to get my health worsen; I don’t like to be a burden to my wife and family. You know, usually soldiers like to keep their health in good condition and avoid troublesome diseases like diabetes.” “Although now we are disabled, we fought for the country for many years. At least I want to do my things independently and walk somewhere when I want, without wanting to trouble others.”