¨Trodde man bara tränar för att gå ner i vikt¨ : En intervjustudie om kvinnliga migranters fysiska aktivitet under migrationsfaser

Sammanfattning

The aim of this study is to explore female migrants´ experiences of planned physical activity across different phases of migration and the significance of agency in relation to physical activity. The study seeks to answer the following three questions: - How do the women describe physical activity during different phases of migration? - In what ways has the women´s physical activity changed across the different phases of migration? - How is the women´s acency for physical activity shaped during and across the different phases of migration? The method includes a qualitative research design in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight women who had migrated to Sweden. Participants were recruited through convenience sampling in combination with snowball sampling. The interview material was recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. The findings were interpreted through the study´s theoretical framework which included the concepts of migration phases, agency, the social determinants of health, intersectionality and the healthy migrant effect. The conclusions were then discussed in relation to previous research. The results showed that planned physical activity changed across different phases of migration: pre-migration, the first years in Sweden and post-migration. However, the changes differed in expression between the participants. A common finding was that physical activity had played a less prominent role in their countries of origin than in Sweden. After migration, they experienced a broader understanding of physical activity, greater social acceptance and increased structural opportunities. At the same time, the findings showed that the increased opportunities did not automatically lead to increased participation in physical activity. Instead, the women´s agency was shaped by the interaction between migration, gender, family responsibilities, social support, work and life circumstances. The conclusion contributes to a deeper understanding of the importance of a life- course perspective and the understanding of migrant women´s agency in relation to physical activity, where different social positions are made visible.