Reach, Recruitment, Dose, and Intervention Fidelity of the GoActive School-Based Physical Activity Intervention in the UK: A Mixed-Methods Process Evaluation.

Stephanie T Jong,Emma R Lawlor,Esther M F Van Sluijs,Edward C F Wilson,Cornelia Guell,Kirsten Corder,Paul O Wilkinson,Caroline H D Croxson,Emma K Wells,Helen Elizabeth Brown,Campbell Foubister

doi:10.3390/children7110231

Abstract

School-based multi-component physical activity (PA) promotion is advocated; however, research has indicated that a multi-component approach may not always be effective at increasing adolescent PA. Evaluation of the GoActive 12-week multi-component school-based intervention showed no effect on adolescent PA. A mixed-methods process evaluation was embedded to facilitate greater understanding of the results, to elicit subgroup perceptions, and to provide insight into contextual factors influencing intervention implementation. This paper presents the reach, recruitment, dose, and fidelity of GoActive, and identifies challenges to implementation. The process evaluation employed questionnaires (1543 Year 9s), individual interviews (16 Year 9s; 7 facilitators; 9 contact teachers), focus groups (48 Year 9s; 58 mentors), alongside GoActive website analytics and researcher observations. GoActive sessions reached 39.4% of Year 9s. Intervention satisfaction was relatively high for mentors (87.3%) and facilitators (85.7%), but lower for Year 9s (59.5%) and teachers (50%). Intervention fidelity was mixed within and between schools. Mentorship was the most implemented component. Factors potentially contributing to low implementation included ambiguity of the roles subgroups played within intervention delivery, Year 9 engagement, institutional support, and further school-level constraints. Multiple challenges and varying contextual considerations hindered the implementation of GoActive in multiple school sites. Methods to overcome contextual challenges to implementation warrant in-depth consideration and innovative approaches.

Highlights

The health benefits of physical activity are widely demonstrated in the literature [1,2]
The reach, or proportion of participants who attended at least one GoActive session during tutor times, calculated from a self-reported Year 9 student questionnaire during the distant support phase, was 39.4%
Multiple challenges and varying contextual considerations hindered the effective implementation of the GoActive programme to multiple school sites

Summary

Introduction

The health benefits of physical activity are widely demonstrated in the literature [1,2]. For young people in particular, physical activity has been associated with improved mental well-being and a lower risk of obesity [1]. The majority of young people in the UK do not meet the current recommendation of at least 60 min/day of moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) [5,6,7]. The literature suggests that the physical activity level declines across the lifespan. UK cohort studies revealed that physical activity declines between the age of five and nine years [8,9]. Physical activity declines, on average, 7% per year [10]

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion