The meaning of youth physical activity experiences among individuals with psoriasis: A retrospective inquiry

The purpose of this study was to examine the meaning that individuals with psoriasis ascribed to their youth physical activity experiences. This qualitative, retrospective inquiry was based on an interpretative phenomenological analysis. A purposive sample of six participants (ages 20-46; four female, two male) residing in the United States were included. Semi-structured, audio-taped telephone interviews and reflective field notes acted as sources of data for this study. Thematic development was undertaken using a four-step interpretative phenomenological analysis process and themes identified across participants were summarized, presented as results, and discussed concurrently. Based on the data analysis, three interrelated themes were constructed from the participant transcripts: (a) "I just stopped signing up": the impact of physical discomfort; (b) "kids started calling me 'Flake'": embarrassment, social anxiety, and bullying; and (c) "I felt like he was calling me out": disclosing psoriasis to stakeholders. These three constructed themes provide unique insight into the embodied experiences of those with psoriasis, and fill a previous gap in the extant literature. Practitioners aiming to increase physical activity engagement among this population can use these findings to design more effective programmes and strategies that address the needs identified in this investigation.