Theme 2: Physical constraints
The second theme, physical constraints, contains the
common explanations offered by women who felt unable
to meet with the exercise guidelines of their selfmanagement
program. The most common reason
offered by women who felt unable to undertake regular
walking exercise, as advised by the diabetes educator
and midwife, was pain. This pain most often manifested
as pelvic (symphysis pubis) pain or backache. Tran
describes her difficulty:
Because I have had pelvic pain, I haven’t been able to
move a lot. And I have been quite ill. . . Tran