Themes	Positive perceptions of the programme	Good understanding of recommended self-management strategies	Adherence behaviour	Recommendations for programme improvement
Subthemes	Group structure of the programme was valued	Behaviour change was correctly understood as an ongoing process	Improvement of symptoms appeared to have the strongest influence on adherence behaviour	Shorter but ongoing programme sessions incorporating videos and print materials were suggested
	Improvements in symptoms positively influenced views of the programme	Exercise was correctly regarded as part of daily life	Expectation of symptom improvement was important for adherence	Spacious exercise/demonstration rooms in primary care centres was recommended
	Health professional-led intervention delivered in primary care centre was advocated		Adherence was facilitated by interesting practice sessions with self-help educational materials	Community involvement to reduce the stigma associated with exercise as treatment, and legitimise exercise for back pain management
	Enhancing participants’ knowledge of chronic low back pain via a collaborative communication style was appreciated		Non-adherence was related to contextual personal factors