Table 3. Comparison of scores for perceived barriers to exercise, by sociodemographic variables and exercise habits.
| n* | Discomfort | Lack of motivation | Lack of time | Lack of social support | Poor environment | |
| Median (25%–75%)† | Median (25%–75%)† | Median (25%–75%)† | Median (25%–75%)† | Median (25%–75%)† | ||
| Overall | 1.8 (1.3–2.4) | 2.9 (2.1–3.7) | 3.0 (2.3–3.8) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.4–3.0) | |
| Sex | ||||||
| Male | 403 | 2.0 (1.4–2.5) | 2.9 (2.1–3.7) | 3.0 (2.3–3.8) | 1.8 (1.1–2.4) | 2.3 (1.5–3.0) |
| Female | 462 | 1.7 (1.3–2.4) | 3.0 (2.2–3.6) | 3.1 (2.3–3.8) | 1.6 (1.1–2.2) | 2.2 (1.4–3.0) |
| P value‡ | 0.028 | 0.944 | 0.952 | 0.102 | 0.282 | |
| Age, years | ||||||
| 20–39 | 275 | 1.8 (1.3–2.5) | 3.1 (2.3–3.9) | 3.3 (2.6–3.9) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.3 (1.4–3.1) |
| 40–59 | 373 | 1.9 (1.4–2.5) | 3.0 (2.2–3.7) | 3.2 (2.5–3.9) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.1 (1.4–2.9) |
| 60–69 | 217 | 1.8 (1.3–2.4) | 2.6 (1.8–3.3) | 2.4 (1.7–3.2) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.4 (1.5–3.0) |
| P value§ | 0.320 | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.706 | 0.155 | |
| Location of residence | ||||||
| Tsukuba | 207 | 1.8 (1.3–2.5) | 2.9 (2.1–3.7) | 3.0 (2.3–3.9) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.4–3.0) |
| Koganei | 248 | 1.8 (1.4–2.4) | 3.0 (2.3–3.8) | 3.1 (2.5–3.7) | 1.6 (1.1–2.2) | 2.3 (1.6–3.0) |
| Shizuoka | 222 | 1.9 (1.3–2.5) | 3.0 (2.2–3.6) | 3.0 (2.2–3.9) | 1.7 (1.1–2.4) | 2.3 (1.5–3.0) |
| Kagoshima | 188 | 1.8 (1.3–2.3) | 2.8 (2.0–3.5) | 2.9 (2.1–3.6) | 1.7 (1.1–2.3) | 2.1 (1.3–2.9) |
| P value§ | 0.501 | 0.203 | 0.149 | 0.603 | 0.215 | |
| Education, years | ||||||
| <13 | 332 | 1.8 (1.4–2.5) | 2.7 (1.9–3.4) | 2.8 (2.1–3.6) | 1.7 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.4–3.0) |
| ≥13 | 529 | 1.8 (1.3–2.4) | 3.1 (2.3–3.8) | 3.2 (2.4–3.8) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.5–3.0) |
| P value‡ | 0.751 | <0.001 | 0.001 | 0.193 | 0.979 | |
| Marital status | ||||||
| Married | 650 | 1.9 (1.3–2.4) | 2.9 (2.1–3.6) | 3.0 (2.3–3.7) | 1.6 (1.1–2.2) | 2.2 (1.4–3.0) |
| Not married | 211 | 1.8 (1.3–2.6) | 3.0 (2.2–3.8) | 3.2 (2.4–4.0) | 1.7 (1.1–2.5) | 2.3 (1.4–3.1) |
| P value‡ | 0.515 | 0.491 | 0.020 | 0.344 | 0.594 | |
| Employment status | ||||||
| Employed | 644 | 1.8 (1.3–2.5) | 3.0 (2.2–3.7) | 3.2 (2.5–3.9) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.5–3.0) |
| Not employed | 220 | 1.8 (1.3–2.4) | 2.9 (2.0–3.5) | 2.5 (1.7–3.2) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.4–3.0) |
| P value‡ | 0.600 | 0.317 | <0.001 | 0.832 | 0.740 | |
| Living with a child or person in need of care | ||||||
| Yes | 313 | 1.7 (1.3–2.5) | 2.9 (2.0–3.7) | 3.2 (2.4–3.9) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.4–3.0) |
| No | 551 | 1.9 (1.4–2.4) | 3.0 (2.2–3.7) | 3.0 (2.2–3.6) | 1.6 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.5–3.0) |
| P value‡ | 0.301 | 0.473 | 0.010 | 0.941 | 0.944 | |
| Self-rated health | ||||||
| Fair or poor | 407 | 2.1 (1.5–2.6) | 3.1 (2.3–3.8) | 3.0 (2.3–3.8) | 1.8 (1.1–2.4) | 2.3 (1.6–3.0) |
| Good | 456 | 1.7 (1.2–2.3) | 2.8 (2.0–3.5) | 3.1 (2.3–3.8) | 1.5 (1.1–2.2) | 2.1 (1.3–3.0) |
| P value‡ | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.849 | 0.008 | 0.037 | |
| BMI, kg/m2 | ||||||
| <25 | 689 | 1.8 (1.3–2.4) | 2.9 (2.1–3.7) | 3.0 (2.3–3.7) | 1.5 (1.1–2.3) | 2.2 (1.4–2.9) |
| ≥25 | 173 | 2.1 (1.4–2.6) | 3.1 (2.4–3.7) | 3.1 (2.2–3.9) | 1.9 (1.2–2.4) | 2.5 (1.7–3.3) |
| P value‡ | 0.010 | 0.169 | 0.732 | 0.028 | 0.001 | |
| Exercise, days/week | ||||||
| <3 | 684 | 1.9 (1.4–2.5) | 3.0 (2.2–3.7) | 3.1 (2.4–3.9) | 1.7 (1.1–2.3) | 2.3 (1.5–3.0) |
| ≥3 | 181 | 1.5 (1.1–2.3) | 2.7 (1.7–3.4) | 2.8 (1.9–3.5) | 1.3 (1.0–2.1) | 2.2 (1.3–3.0) |
| P value‡ | <0.001 | <0.001 | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.519 | |
Abbreviation: BMI, body mass index.
Higher score means higher perception of a barrier to exercise.
*Total numbers of respondents are not equal, due to missing data.
†Twenty-fifth and 75th percentiles.
‡The Mann–Whitney U test was used to compare the scores of barrier perception between groups.
§The Kruskal–Wallis test was used to compare the scores of barrier perception between groups.