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Table 3 Identified Themes, Categories, and Sub-Categories by Focus Group (N = 14)

From: “It was just for us”: qualitative evaluation of an exercise intervention for African-American couples

Exercised Together (n = 8)

Exercised Separately (n = 6)

Theme 1: Value & Benefits of Intervention Participation

Study Support

Study Support

 • Accountability & structure

 • Accountability & structure

 • Encouragement to start a fitness program

 • Encouragement to start a fitness program

 • Study staff

 • Study staff

Partner Interaction

Partner Interaction

 • Closer relationship

 • Closer relationship

 • Shared experience with significant other

 • Shared experience with significant other

 • Competition

Health Benefits

Health Benefits

 • Health awareness & appreciation

 • Health awareness & appreciation

 • Health outcomes

 • Health outcomes

Cultural Relevance

 • Nutrition awareness

 • AA trainers

Cultural Relevance

 • Music

 • AA trainers

 • Prompted exercise discussions in the AA community

 • Music

 

 • Prompted exercise discussions in the AA community

 • AA principal investigator

Neighborhood/Community Awareness

Self-efficacy

Theme 2: Difficulties with Intervention Participation

Study Logistics

Study Logistics

 • Device issues

 • Device issues

 • Walking logs

 • Walking logs

 • Facility

Personal Barriers

Personal Barriers

 • Physical challenges

 • Physical challenges

 • Self-motivation to attend trainings

Training consistency

Theme 3: Suggestions to Improve the Intervention

Programming

Programming

 • Flexibility training

 • Flexibility training

 • Longer program duration

 • Longer program duration

 • Education

 • Education

Enhanced Transition Support

 • Study results to participants

Exercise Promotion in the AA Community

 • Investigator check-in on workouts

 • Local community engagement

Enhanced Transition Support

 • Future recruitment

 
  1. AA African-American