Considerations for Individual-Level Versus Whole-School Physical Activity Interventions: Stakeholder Perspectives.

Byron Tibbitts,Rebecca Kandiyali,Simon J Sebire,Tom Reid,Kathryn Willis,Russell Jago,Ruth R Kipping,Rona Campbell

doi:10.3390/ijerph18147628

Abstract

Strategies to address declining physical activity levels among children and adolescents have focused on ‘individual-level’ approaches which often fail to demonstrate impact. Recent attention has been on an alternative ‘whole-school’ approach to increasing physical activity that involves promoting physical activity throughout all aspects of the school environment. There is, however, a lack of evidence on how whole-school physical activity approaches could be implemented in the UK. This qualitative study explored perspectives of key stakeholders on potential reasons for the lack of impact of individual-level school-based interventions on children’s physical activity, and key considerations for adopting a whole-school approach. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of stakeholders involved in the implementation of physical activity programmes in UK schools. Data were analysed using an inductive approach. Respondents suggested that individual-level school-based interventions to increase physical activity often failed to consult end users in the design and were typically implemented in environments unsupportive of long-term change. They subsequently outlined specific barriers and key facilitators for the adoption and implementation of whole-school approaches in UK settings and recommended a shift in research foci towards building an evidence base around educational outcomes and whole-school implementation insights.

Highlights

The physiological health benefits of being physically active are well established in children and adolescents [1,2,3,4] and the evidence linking physical activity with mental health in this age group is growing [5]
Physical activity levels decline as children age [6] and, by adolescence, fewer than 20% of young people globally meet the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommendation of an average of 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day [7]
Qualitative methodology was the most appropriate approach to address the three further research questions we had; our current study design used qualitative methods to elicit the perspectives of strategic stakeholders regarding the intervention model we used, along with alternative approaches to increasing the physical activity levels of children and adolescents in all school settings

Summary

Introduction

The physiological health benefits of being physically active are well established in children and adolescents [1,2,3,4] and the evidence linking physical activity with mental health in this age group is growing [5]. Physical activity levels decline as children age [6] and, by adolescence, fewer than 20% of young people globally meet the WHO recommendation of an average of 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per day [7]. School-based physical activity interventions abound, but only a limited number show promise [9]. Systematic reviews have shown that most of these studies fail to elicit meaningful change in objectively measured physical activity outcomes [10]

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion