Prevalence and Associated Factors of Physical Activity Among Mothers in the Gaza Strip-Palestine

Background: The high prevalence of obesity was observed in numerous developed and developing countries. A reduce in energy expenditure due to the low physical activity level is a factor contributed to the increase in obesity. In the Gaza Strip there is a lack of studies on the pattern of physical activity among adults. The aim of this study was to determine the physical activity prevalence among mothers aged 18–50 years and its associated factors. Methods: A mixed methods design was conducted using quantitative and qualitative methods. A total of 357 mothers were recruited from the Gaza Strip. The short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to assess the physical activity pattern. Focus groups discussion (FGDs) were conducted for qualitative study. Results: The prevalence of physical inactivity was 21.6%, about 78% of mothers were classified as moderately active, while vigorous activity was not observed. Results revealed that, physical activity level decreased among mothers who lived in households with low income (OR: 2.30; 95%CI: 1.20–4.45; p = 0.013), and those with high nutrition knowledge were more likely to be physically inactive (OR: 1.15; 95%CI: 1.0–1.314; p = 0.040), while mothers who had low or medium education level were more active (OR: 0.31; 95%CI: 0.15–0.62; p = 0.001), or (OR: 0.47; 95%CI: 0.23–0.96; p = 0.039). The qualitative results showed that most of the mothers believed home chores are kind of exercises and could substitute for practicing sports. The main constraints to physical activity practice attributed to the sociocultural factors due to the limited availability of exercising facilities for Palestinian women and restrictions on their freedom. Conclusions: Results of this study are important to monitor physical activity levels among mothers in the Gaza Strip. Effective community-based intervention programs should be implemented to improve physical activity levels among mothers in the Gaza Strip.