Q-sort data underlying the publication: Dynamics and diversity in adolescents’ experienced barriers and facilitators for physical activity maintenance

This dataset contains Q-sort data used for the main analyses in the publication "Dynamics and diversity in adolescents' experienced barriers and facilitators for physical activity maintenance." The research objective was to understand the diversity of experiences across adolescents and the dynamics of how these experiences change over time regarding maintained physical activity. Using Q-methodology, a mixed-methods approach, 30 adolescents selected and ranked their top 10 most relevant facilitators and barriers from a provided set of cards according to their personal experiences. Participants also indicated whether their top 10 had changed compared to 2 years prior; if so, they completed an additional Q-sort for their past experiences. The dataset includes ranked facilitator and barrier Q-sorts for present and past (when applicable), change indicator variables (yes/no), and demographic information (participant ID, gender, age, maintained activity type). This quantitative and qualitative data was analyzed using factor analysis to identify similarities and differences in adolescent experiences and to examine temporal shifts in barriers and facilitators for physical activity maintenance. Interviews with participants about their choices (not in the data) were used to interpret the resulting factors.