Advocating for Implementation of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity: Challenges and Support Requirements

Murphy, Joey; Milton, Karen; Mclaughlin, Matthew; Shilton, Trevor; McLoughlin, Gabriella M.; Reece, Lindsey; Mair, Jacqueline L.; Direito, Artur; Kariippanon, Katharina E.; Mackenzie, Kelly; Mavilidi, Myrto F.; Shellington, Erin M.; Kamada, Masao; Heron, Leonie; Jáuregui, Edtna; Abdeta, Chalchisa; Pina, Ilaria; Pinto, Ryan; Sutherland, Rachel

doi:10.1123/jpah.2022-0357

Cited by 5 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Established causal relationships between general physical activity and health outcomes are well documented ( 1 , 2 ). While riding bicycles is often included in population measures of physical activity alongside other exercise modalities, few studies have investigated the contribution of cycling alone with health associations ( 3 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits, risks, barriers, and facilitators to cycling: a narrative review

Logan,

Somers,

Baker

et al. 2023

Front. Sports Act. Living

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

There is large potential to increase cycling participation worldwide. Participation in cycling is associated with lower risk of mortality from any cause, and incidence of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, as well as positive mental health and well-being. The largest potential for health gains likely to come from increasing participation amongst those who do not currently cycle regularly, rather than encouraging those who already cycle regularly to cycle more. Replacing car journeys with cycling can lead to reductions in air pollution emissions and lower pollutant exposure to the general population. Important gaps and uncertainties in the existing evidence base include: the extent to which the health benefits associated with cycling participation are fully causal due to the observational nature of much of the existing evidence base; the real-world economic cost-benefits of pragmatic interventions to increase cycling participation; and the most effective (combination of) approaches to increase cycling participation. To address these uncertainties, large-scale, long-term randomised controlled trials are needed to: evaluate the effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, of (combinations of) intervention approaches to induce sustained long-term increases in cycling participation in terms of increases in numbers of people cycling regularly and number of cycling journeys undertaken, across a range of population demographic groups; establish the effects of such interventions on relevant outcomes related to health and wellbeing, economic productivity and wider societal impacts; and provide more robust quantification of potential harms of increasing cycling participation, such as collision risks.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Benefits, risks, barriers, and facilitators to cycling: a narrative review

Logan,

Somers,

Baker

et al. 2023

Front. Sports Act. Living

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Navigating Physical Activity Promotion and Policy in the Post-COVID-19-Pandemic Era

Richards,

Siefken,

Pratt

et al. 2024

Journal of Physical Activity and Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background: There is limited evidence on the priorities and opportunities associated with promoting population physical activity (PA) participation for the post-COVID-19-pandemic future. Purpose: This study assessed government-led PA promotion efforts before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with post-COVID-19-pandemic priorities and recommendations. Methods: Two separate cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2023. Survey 1 was targeted at the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) Country Contacts. Survey 2 also included key international informants representing influential stakeholders in PA policy implementation. Results: There were 68 respondents to Survey 1, collectively representing 61 countries. An additional 37 people, including representatives from 14 key international stakeholders responded to Survey 2. Eighty-two percent of countries had national PA policies. COVID-19 widely disrupted PA policy implementation. Less than 40% of countries integrated PA into their COVID-19 response plan and more than 75% reported policies that restricted PA participation. Although most respondents indicated that government PA priorities did not change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one in five countries reported that cross-sectoral partnership had become more important during this period. Less than a third of postpandemic governments reported as highly engaged despite the widespread proliferation of PA policies and plans prior to the pandemic. There were variations according to country, region, and income. Conclusions: Elevating PA promotion on the public health agenda is crucial for the post-COVID-19-pandemic era. At a policy level, it is critical to focus on adequate resourcing, cross-sectoral partnerships, integrated interventions, and inequities in participation. These factors have become increasingly important in the postpandemic PA policy landscape.

show abstract