Table 2.

Facilitator themes for adoption of Enhance^®Fitness (EF): perceptions of Y staff.

	Theme	Transcripts represented	Exemplar quotations
1	EF matches well with Y mission	8 of 15 (53%)	Adopting an evidence-based program fit well with the Y goals and standards and was congruent with the Y mission. The Y mission includes providing programing that helps to improve the health and fitness of older adults (Age 30, 11 years with the Y).
			It’s back to the spirit of mind and body of what the YMCA does (Age 33, 11 years with the Y).
			We knew it was an evidence-based program, one that fit well with the Y goals and standards (Age 30, 11 years with the Y).
			I think it falls into our focus areas i.e., healthy living for seniors and social responsibility as well. We’re being responsible when we provide those types of exercise programs (Age 29, 5 years with the Y).
2	Organizational support	5 of 15 (33%)	The association office asked us if we would be interested. Because of the clientele we have, we have lots of seniors, of course I stepped up to the plate and said: “Yes, definitely let’s try this for our seniors.” That’s how we got involved (Age 41, 14 years with the Y).
			I think having a focus and support from junior management is important (Age 38, 8 years with the Y).
			I think you need to have an Executive Director or CEO really understanding what it means to deliver evidence-based programs (Age 38, 8 years with the Y).
			I think it’s always good thing to bring something new in. It was driven by the Y of the USA. And then also I was asked to do this by our Health and Wellness director of the main branch (Age 51, 15 years with the Y).
3	Match with the target population	10 of 15 (67%)	We had been looking for an older adult program because we have a large aging population in our community. It has been an age bracket that had been underserved at our Y (Age 30, 11 years with the Y).
			We are known for the fact that we offer programing that is valuable to the community and to the seniors in the community. EF is one of those programs (Age 63, 2 years with Y-affiliated site).
			We are in close proximity to (low income housing) and so this is a very easy place for them to come. It’s convenient for them. If we’re talking about people that are low income and don’t have money for public transportation, it makes it very easy for them to do something to take care of their healthy living (Age 63, 2 years with Y-affiliated site).
			It is completely appropriate for many health seekers and people who struggle with becoming more active or staying active (Age 38, 8 years with the Y).
4	Financial support	5 of 15 (33%)	When we started it, we started with the [state department of health]. … they gave us a grant basically along with other YMCAs in [the state] with all of those being downstate. They basically paid for my staff’s training and they sent us. I think that they also paid for all of our equipment. They were a huge, huge partner in this and for us being able to start EF when we did (Age 33, 11 years with the Y).
			The [state] contacted us and we’ve been working with them for some other programs. They offered to help with the initial training, and that’s where we learned about the program (Age 30, 11 years with the Y).
			We offer financial assistance. Based upon income I can give participants a certain percentage off the price of the class. And then based upon some of the grants that we have been given, I can give them even a higher percentage off. We do the best that we can to really make it happen for them. I don’t like saying no to anybody (Age 29, 5 years with the Y).
5	Champions	10 of 15 (67%)	I am a go-getter and if I hear something, I go after it because it is beneficial to our residents (Age 65, 6 years with the Y-affiliated site).
			For me, personally, it was something else for me to offer to the seniors. I absolutely love working with the active older adults (Age 41, 14 years with the Y).
			The more and more I learned about it, the more I loved it. I didn’t really know of any other like evidence-based programs for older adults. I really liked the pre and post-tests that they did. It just seemed like a great program (Age 33, 11 years with the Y).
			I told my boss about it and how I thought it would be beneficial. I told our members about it because I wanted to get them on board and get them excited. I did anything I could when the (grant sponsor) people came over. I did everything I could to promote our space (Age 60, 7 years with Y-affiliated site).
6	Novelty of EF	5 of 15 (33%)	I thought it would be something different, you know? I thought it would be more different and something that we could offer to our seniors (Age 41, 14 years with the Y).
			It was just something new and exciting, evidence-based. It was everything we wanted (Age 51, 11 years with the Y).
			I think it’s always good thing to bring something new in (Age 51, 16 years with the Y).
			I just wanted to have a varied program offering, and I thought this would fit…I wanted to keep the people who come here happy with our center. I want to give them a variety of things, and so I don’t want anything to be stagnant (Age 60, 7 years with Y-affiliated site).
7	Invitation to partner with another organization to offer EF	8 of 15 (53%)	I think that I thought it looked like a great program. Our partnership at the [state department of health] was so strong. They really wanted to help the YMCAs start it (Age 33, 11 years with the Y).
			Sometimes the senior centers request us to do a program. That is kind of how it happened. It was just really good timing when we started EF because they were requesting that we come and do some different things. We thought it would be perfect and so it just kind of fell into place (Age 33, 11 years with the Y).
			I was working with a grant writer at [a university]. I was looking for something that we could get through a grant. This is the something she came up with (Age 60, 7 years with Y-affiliated site).
			Someone [YMCA staff member] called [my manager] and said: “We have this EF class and would you want to be our pilot program?” And she said “Absolutely, yes! That’s how it all started” (Age 51, 11 years with the Y).
8	Program-specific characteristics of EF such as being evidence-based and with name recognition	10 of 15 (67%)	It is evidence-based and has got solid backing. It has a proven track record and can meet the needs that are out there (Age 30, 11 years with the Y).
			I won’t touch anything that does not have data or an evidence-based curriculum, especially as related to chronic disease management (Age 38, 8 years with the Y).
			It is an incentive to bring people in when they know that you have a program that is known throughout the country. It’s a recognizable name. You are branded already (Age 63, 2 years with Y-affiliated site).