A global systematic scoping review of studies analysing indicators, development, and content of national-level physical activity and sedentary behaviour policies

Abstract

BackgroundNational policy approaches to physical activity (PA) promotion and sedentary behaviour (SB) reduction are needed to address rising rates of non-communicable diseases. Understanding the policy process and impact through robust research and evaluation is crucial for facilitating successful reforms in national health policy. This scoping review, therefore, aimed to map the evidence on indicators, development, and content of national PA and/or SB policies globally.MethodsA systematic search of academic and grey literature was conducted through six bibliographic databases, Google, and websites of three large organisations for PA promotion.ResultsOut of 24,872 screened documents, 203 publications from 163 studies were selected. The selected studies investigated PA/SB policies in 168 countries worldwide, and we provided summary results for each of the countries. Overall, 69, 29, and 2% of the analyses of national PA/SB policies were conducted for high-, middle-, and low-income countries, respectively. Twenty-two percent of the studies mentioned SB policies as part of their analysis, with only one study focusing solely on assessing SB policies. Operational definitions of policy were found in only 13% of publications. Only 15% of the studies used a conceptual or theoretical framework. A large variety of methods were used for data collection and analysis of PA/SB policy.ConclusionsWe found that PA policy research is much more developed than it was considered several years ago. Research around SB policies is still in its infancy, but it seems to have experienced some positive progress in the last few years. Three key issues were identified that should be addressed in further research: [i] there is a lack of PA/SB policy research in low- and middle-income countries, which is an important limitation of the current body of evidence; [ii] the definition of policy varied significantly across studies, and most studies did not rely on any theoretical framework, which may impede cross-study comparisons; and [iii] studies have used a variety of methods to analyse policy, which may also cause problems with comparability. Future PA/SB policy research should aim towards a clearer conceptualisation of policy, greater reliance on existing theoretical frameworks, and the use and further development of standardised methods for PA/SB policy analysis.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (10.1186/s12966-018-0742-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

National physical activity and sedentary behaviour policies in 76 countries: availability, comprehensiveness, implementation, and effectiveness

“…Its overall direct cost to worldwide healthcare systems is estimated to be around 53.8 billion international dollars [ 5 ]. Evidence on the considerable public health and economic benefits that could be achieved by increasing PA in the population has incentivised governments around the world to develop PA policies [ 6 ].…”

“…Research around PA policy is developing, and some data on PA policy are available for 168 countries [ 6 ]. SB policy research is a relatively new area [ 6 ], and for most countries evidence is lacking for the development of SB policies [ 6 ].…”

“…Research around PA policy is developing, and some data on PA policy are available for 168 countries [ 6 ]. SB policy research is a relatively new area [ 6 ], and for most countries evidence is lacking for the development of SB policies [ 6 ]. Research on national-level PA and SB policies may contribute to: (i) evidence-based development of new PA and SB policies; (ii) better implementation and evaluation of existing PA and SB policies; (iii) achieving sustainable reforms within the health, education, sport, and other sectors, particularly in regard to the promotion of more PA and less SB; (iv) raising awareness among policy makers and other public health stakeholders about existing challenges, gaps, and prospects in national-level PA promotion; (v) important debates between researchers and policymakers on existing and future PA and SB policies [ 7 – 16 ].…”

“Thumb Exercise”: An Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis of Psychosocial Factors Encouraging Inactive Adults to Engage with Their Smartphones Rather than Physical Activity

“…In modern society, the continuing increase in sedentary behaviour has emerged as an important public health topic (Biddle & Beenie, 2017;Pogrmilovic et al, 2018). Sedentary behaviour is defined as any waking activity that is carried out whilst sitting or lying, and which does not raise an individual's energy expenditure above resting metabolic rate (≤1.5 metabolic equivalent) (Tremblay et al, 2017).…”

Early Career Professionals’ (Researchers, Practitioners, and Policymakers) Role in Advocating, Disseminating, and Implementing the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity: ISPAH Early Career Network View

“…Insufficient physical activity (PA) is a key risk factor for noncommunicable diseases, morbidity, and mortality globally, 1 leading to large health care costs and productivity losses. 2 Despite the wealth of research on effective interventions (eg, mass media campaigns, urban design, social support (for PA) in workplaces and communities) 3 and existing PA policies and plans, 4 global PA levels are not improving. 5 Furthermore, the prevalence of insufficient PA is estimated to be twice as high in high-income countries compared with low-income countries (36.8% vs 16.2%), which is important given the fast transitions of low onto middle-/high-income econo-mies and corresponding urbanization and increase in sedentary occupations, leading to possible declines in PA. 6,7 Although an abundance of information regarding the benefits, recommendations, and promotion of PA is available, global efforts to increase PA have been unsatisfactory.…”