Despite the well-documented health benefits of recreational sports, few opportunities exist in lower- and middle-income countries for adult women to participate in recreational physical activities. An explanatory sequential mixed methods approach was used to explore associations between an innovative soccer program for adult women and self-reported health status. Cross-sectional survey data were collected in 2018–2019 from 702 women in the Nikumbuke Project, a health and literacy program in southeastern rural Kenya, followed by focus group discussions with 225 women who also participated in the Project’s soccer program. Quantitative findings suggest that women who participated in soccer had 67% greater odds of reporting good or excellent health than their non-soccer playing peers. Thematic analysis of qualitative data indicated that women credited soccer with less pain, fatigue, and stress, as well as weight loss and reduced dependence on medicine for hypertension, pain, and sleep problems. Women equated health benefits with greater ease and efficiency in completing chores, reduced worries, youthful energy, male-like strength, and pleased husbands. Soccer programs for adult women may be particularly effective interventions in settings where access to health care is limited and where lack of opportunity to engage in physical aerobic activity increases women’s risks for poor health outcomes.

中文翻译：

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“就像医学”：利用运动促进肯尼亚农村地区成年女性的健康

尽管休闲运动对健康有充分的记录，但在中低收入国家中，成年女性参加休闲体育活动的机会很少。一种解释性的顺序混合方法方法用于探讨针对成年女性的创新足球计划与自我报告的健康状况之间的关联。横断面调查数据是在2018-2019年从Nikumbuke项目中的702名妇女收集的，该项目是肯尼亚东南农村地区的一项健康与扫盲计划，随后与225名也参加了该项目的足球计划的妇女进行了焦点小组讨论。定量研究结果表明，参加足球运动的女性比不参加足球运动的女性拥有良好或良好健康状况的几率高67％。对定性数据的专题分析表明，妇女认为足球的疼痛，疲劳和压力减少，体重减轻，对高血压，疼痛和睡眠问题的药物依赖性降低，这归功于足球。妇女在完成家务，减少忧虑，精力充沛，年轻如男性，使丈夫高兴方面更容易，更有效地等同于健康益处。对于成年女性的足球计划，在获得医疗服务有限，缺乏进行有氧运动的机会会增加女性健康状况差的风险的环境中，可能是特别有效的干预措施。减少后顾之忧，青春活力，像男性一样的力量和令丈夫满意的事物。对于成年女性的足球计划，在获得医疗服务有限，缺乏进行有氧运动的机会会增加女性健康状况差的风险的环境中，可能是特别有效的干预措施。减少后顾之忧，青春活力，像男性一样的力量和令丈夫满意的事物。对于成年女性的足球计划，在获得医疗服务有限，缺乏进行有氧运动的机会会增加女性健康状况差的风险的环境中，可能是特别有效的干预措施。