Table 1.

Study characteristics

Study	Objectives	Country	Participants (number; diagnosis/OA site; characteristics; sampling)	Methods (data collection and analysis)	Findings	Relevance to secondary objectives (exercise vs lifestyle PA; uptake vs maintenance)
Campbell et al38	Compliance with a physiotherapy intervention.	UK	20 participants; Knee OA 14 female, age >45; Maximum variation sampling	Interviews; constant comparative method	Factors related to compliance: moral obligation towards the physiotherapist (initial compliance); viewing exercise as beneficial, fitting exercises in daily life, perceived symptom severity, arthritis and comorbidity attitudes, exercise and OA experiences (continued compliance)	Exercise regime Both initial and continued compliance explored
Fisken et al39	Reasons for ceasing participation in aqua-based exercise	New Zealand	11 participants; various OA sites, 10 hip or knee; female; age >60; purposeful sampling	Focus groups; general inductive thematic approach	Main barriers: lack of appropriate classes and knowledgeable instructors, increase in pain, cold water and facilities	Exercise regime No uptake-maintenance distinction
Hammer et al40	Self-efficacy in relation to PA maintenance among maintainers and non-maintainers postintervention	Denmark	15 participants; hip OA; 8 female, age 65–74; Criterion-based purposeful sampling	Semistructured interviews; directed content analysis	Themes: mastery experiences, vicarious experiences, verbal persuasion, physiological and emotional states, altruism	Exercise regimes No uptake-maintenance distinction
Hendry et al41	Views towards exercise, determinants of acceptability and motivation barriers	UK	22 participants; knee OA; 16 female, age 52–86; purposeful sampling (inclusion/exclusion criteria)	Interviews and focus group; principles of framework method of qualitative analysis	Exercise participation determinants: perception of physical capacity, beliefs about exercise, motivational factors	Exercise (broad definition) No uptake maintenance distinction
Kabel et al42	Pain, social pressure and embarrassment in activity-related decision-making.	USA	10 participants; knee OA; seven female, mean age 60; sampling method not clearly reported	Interviews; grounded theory or constant comparative method	Four PA-related patterns: Risk pain and embarrassment; risk pain, avoid embarrassment; avoid pain, risk embarrassment; avoid pain and embarrassment	PA (living with OA). No uptake maintenance distinction
Kaptein et al43	PA perception in the context of managing arthritis and multiple roles	Canada	40 participants; 17 hip/knee OA, 16 RA, four both OA and RA, three other OA sites; 24 female, ages 29–72; purposeful sampling	Focus groups; qualitative content analysis	Positive PA perceptions, complex relationship between PA, arthritis and life roles (PA as potential cause of arthritis, reciprocal relationship, harms and benefits, perceived choices)	PA No uptake maintenance distinction
Petursdottir et al44	Exercise experience. What determines whether people exercise	Iceland	12 participants; various OA sites, 10 hip or knee; 9 female, mean age 67 (50-81); purposeful sampling	Interviews; phenomenology (Vancouver School)	Barriers/facilitators: internal (individual attributes and exercise experiences) and external (social and physical environment)	Exercise No uptake maintenance distinction
Stone and Baker45	Facilitators and barriers to regular PA	Canada	15 participants, hip or/and knee OA; 9 female, age 30–85; snowball sampling.	Semistructured interview; interpretational analysis	Facilitators: pain relief, clear communication from healthcare professionals, social support. Barriers: pain, psychological distress, lack of support from healthcare professionals	PA No uptake maintenance distinction
Thorstensson et al46	Underlying processes leading to response or non-response to exercise as treatment	Sweden	16 participants, knee OA; 6 female, age 39–64; purposeful sampling	Interviews; phenomenography	Themes: to gain health, to become motivated, to experience the need for support, to experience resistance	Exercise No uptake-maintenance distinction
Veenhof et al47	Factors that explain differences between patients who integrated activities in their daily lives or not	The Netherlands	12 participants; hip or knee OA; 8 female, ages 51–80; deliberate sampling for heterogeneity	Interviews; grounded theory	Long-term goals and active involvement in the intervention related to greater adherence	Exercise No uptake maintenance distinction

OA, osteoarthritis; PA, physical activity; RA, rheumatoid arthritis.