Introduction to this segment
Others Oriented make up around 6% of the total adult population (approximately 170,000) and the following description is based on 398 respondents.
This segment has several distinctive features:
- nearly all (97%) report some influence from the discouragement from others (rating 3 or more on a 7-point scale where 1 = Doesn’t influence me at all, and 7 = Influences me a lot), and 38% are clearly influenced (a rating of 5 or more).
- more perceived barriers to physical activity than for other segments. One in three are Asian or Pacific peoples.
- a comparatively high proportion of the segment are people who are obese or overweight.
Demographic differences
Text description of figure
Figure 1 shows the ethnic breakdown of the Others Oriented segment. It reveals that the Others Oriented segment contains a higher proportion of Asian and Pacific peoples than all other segments.
Hence both the activities and communication methods of any initiatives directed at this segment need to be culturally appropriate to these ethnic groups.
Fig.1 - Ethnicity
Sensitivity to others
Text description of figure
Figure 2 shows that a defining issue for the Others Oriented segment is that nearly all (97%) report some influence of discouragement from others. However, Others Oriented are not much more likely to report a lack of encouragement.
Fig.2 - Influence of discouragement from others
Text description of figure
Figure 3 shows that in a separate question about overall encouragement, 42% of Others Oriented rated the overall amount of encouragement they get as about right (compared with 39% of the Target Group).
Significantly more people in Others Oriented (13%) rate the overall amount of encouragement they get as more than about right than in the Target Group overall (7%).
This suggests that, rather than simply receiving more discouragement and less encouragement, this segment is more sensitive to support from others (whether it's discouragement or encouragement).
Fig.3 - Amount of encouragement overall
Text description of figure
Figure 4 shows that a third set of questions on 'extrinsic' motivations (e.g. wanting to be approved of by others) confirms Others Oriented's greater sensitivity to others relative to the Target Group overall.
Fig.4 - When I am physically active it is because
Perceived barriers
Text description of image
Others Oriented have many perceived barriers to physical activity - these were rated on a 7-point scale where 1 means doesn't influence me at all and 7 means influences me a lot. The perceived barriers can be loosely combined into three groups: commitment barriers, community barriers and physical barriers.
Figure 5 shows that Others Oriented rate many of these barriers more highly (as an influence keeping them from being physically active) than any other segment.
Fig. 5 - Perceived barriers and excuses.
Three in ten Others Oriented find physical activity uncomfortable. Arthritis and other health problems are more commonly a clear barrier (34%) for this segment. Also, almost three in ten do not like to feel out of breath, don't like other people seeing them active, and think physical activity takes too much effort.
These are especially issues for the obese in this segment. Few will quite often or almost always choose to walk 1.5km in favourable conditions (31% compared with 62% of the Active Group).
Others Oriented appear to have more limited options for increasing physical activity, because they are:
- lacking others to exercise with, and have a heightened sensitivity to others (which is apparent by the influence of discouragement from others).
- lacking knowledge - half rate "I don’t know how to be physically active" as an influence (rating 3 or more on a 7-point scale) compared with only one in five for the Target Group overall.
- likely to believe their environment is threatening. They are more likely to identify things in their neighbourhood that put them off being physically active. Specifically, around a third say that they are put off being physically active by dog nuisance, traffic that is too heavy, and not enough street lighting.
- financially constrained.
- consider facilities are hard to get to. This could be because of lack of awareness (e.g. language barriers) or access problems.
Perceived benefits and motivations
Others Oriented believe in the importance of the health benefits from physical activity, and also that these benefits are likely to result from physical activity. These rating levels are similar to the Target Group overall and even to the Active Group.
Their level of intrinsic motivation (e.g. enjoying physical activity) is also similar to that for the Target Group overall.
Tangible rewards/interventions
Others Oriented report that they would be more physically active for tangible rewards.
In particular, the following tangible rewards are most attractive to Others Oriented and received the highest ratings of all segments:
- if they could get a free or low-cost gym membership, three in five claim they are likely to be more active.
- between a quarter and a third claim they are likely to be more active if:
- they thought it would get their children more active
- they could get a free pamphlet on how to be physically active
- they could call a toll free number to get advice from an expert
- they could get someone to watch their children
Confidence/self-efficacy
Only one in six Others Oriented are highly confident (rating 9 or 10 on a 10-point scale) that they can become physically active five days per week for at least 30 minutes a day in the next month. However, 55% are at least moderately confident (ratings of 6-10 on a 10-point scale) that they can achieve this target.
Further there is a subgroup of two in five Others Oriented who are moderately confident they can achieve the target level (five days physical activity per week for at least 30 minutes a day) of physical activity and also report that they enjoy physical activity.
Health
Fewer Others Oriented than other groups rate their own health as excellent or very good (26% compared with 40% of the Target Group overall). Overall, those in the Others Oriented segment are the least likely to have visited a doctor or nurse in the last 12 months. This may be more a reflection of lower socio-economic status than good health.
Others Oriented contains a relatively high proportion of people who are obese (27%) or overweight (24%).
Health information
As a source of health information, over three quarters of Others Oriented trust their doctor, and around half trust their doctor's nurse, dietitian, their local hospital and well established health organisations such as the Heart Foundation, 64%; Cancer Society, 52%; Diabetes New Zealand, 51%.
In general, women are more trusting of these well-established health organisations than men. Trust was lower in SPARC (37%) or Regional Sports Trusts (28%).
Over half of Others Oriented are interested in learning about how to stay healthy (57%) and health information on physical activity/exercise (55%).
Furthermore, many are also interested in:
- nutrition/food choices (48%)
- weight control (46%)
- improving sleep (45%)
- stress management (42%).
Nutrition
Fruit consumption for Others Oriented is similar to the levels noted among the Target Group overall. However, those in the Others Oriented segment have the lowest consumption of vegetables, with 13% eating none or one serving a day. Only 43% eat the recommended three or more servings of vegetables daily (compared to 61% of the Target Group).
Others Oriented have the highest percentage ratings on almost all the perceived barriers to eating fruit and vegetables. They are easily discouraged and are put off by problems related to availability, cost, and convenience.
Summary diagram
The diagram below (Fig. 6) summarises distinctive features of the Others Oriented segment, together with a few important related characteristics.
Fig. 6 - Others oriented: Summary
Others oriented - summary diagram
At the centre of the diagram (labelled as the Core Value) is Sensitivity to Others. This is the common link between several of the highly distinctive characteristics of this segment in the Feelings and Beliefs layer. These are 'influenced by discouragement from others', 'want approval from others', 'perceive pressure from others', and 'want others to see that they can do physical activity'.
The Feelings and Beliefs layer also highlights some of the large number of perceived barriers that affect this segment more than those in the Target Group. In particular, more Others Oriented admit to not knowing how to be physically active.
The observable Physical layer also highlights some other characteristics of Others Oriented - that many are obese or overweight, and that one in three are Asian or Pacific peoples.
(3) Two separate questions were included in the questionnaire - discouragement: The following is a list of possible things that keep some people from being physically active. For each one, please indicate how much each influences your own activity level. (1=Doesn't influence me at all, 7=Influences me a lot.) Encouragement: Overall, would you say the amount of encouragement you get is... (1=Not enough, 4=About right, 7=Too much.)