Competencies for a Healthy Physically Active Lifestyle—Reflections on the Model of Physical Activity-Related Health Competence

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization’s Global Action Plan on Physical Activity 2018–2030 states that physical activity interventions should strengthen peoples’ competencies for health. Yet, frameworks that bundle pivotal competencies for a healthy and physically active lifestyle have not been extensively discussed in the past. Results: In the present article, the authors therefore present the model of Physical Activity-related Health Competence (PAHCO), an integrative structure model including the 3 areas of movement competence, control competence, and self-regulation competence. After providing a rationale for the use of the competence concept, the authors focus on implications from the PAHCO model to guide interventions for the promotion of a healthy and physically active lifestyle. The authors argue that the PAHCO model is located at the interface between health literacy and physical literacy, research areas that have gained increasing scholarly attention in recent years. In addition, PAHCO appears to be compatible with the concept of health capability because it can represent the important aspect of agency. Conclusions: The article concludes with a scientific positioning of model components and some empirical results that have been accumulated so far.

Moderators of Perceived Effort in Adolescent Rowers During a Graded Exercise Test

“…Thiel et al [5] see the perception of effort as an important competence for health in sports and exercise therapy and as a component of a movement-related control competency. Carl et al [3] (p. 689) regard this control competence as necessary for load regulation and structuring activities autonomously in order to improve physical and mental well-being. Within their framework, it is one of three major competences enabling individuals to become "physical activity-related health competent" (PAHCO).…”

“…Carl et al [3] suggest not to train the sub-competencies individually, but to train also their interactions for health promotion. Hereto, interventions focusing on autonomous physical training in combination with explicit ratings of perceived exertion and pacing might already represent a basic approach.…”

“…Physical activity promotes the mental health of adolescents [1]. Adherence to physical activity is a great individual challenge [2], and the key factors are motor competences, control and self-regulation competences as well as perceptual competences [3,4]. In the field of sports, these competences refer to the ability to plan, execute and regulate physical performance autonomously and to choose adequate loads for achieving physical and mental health.…”

Herausforderungen für die Kompetenzorientierung im Gesundheitssport

“…Die Steuerungskompetenzinterpretierbar als der qualitative ("gesundheitswirksam") Kern des Modellsstellt wiederum sicher, dass Aktivitäten nicht einfach nur möglichst häufig und intensiv durchgeführt werden, sondern dass diese auf die individuellen körperlichen und psychischen Voraussetzungen angepasst werden. Die drei übergeordneten Subkompetenzen speisen sich integrativen Gedanken folgend [22] wiederum aus bestimmten Fähigkeiten, Fertigkeiten und personalen Dispositionen, den sogenannten Basiselementen.…”

“…Aus Sicht der Versorgungspraxis war es ein wichtiger Schritt, dass die Stärkung der BGK als zentrales Ziel in die Klassifikation therapeutischer Leistungen aufgenommen wurde [39]. Insgesamt fordert der integrative und anforderungsbezogene Kompetenzcharakter eine enge Verzahnung von Trainieren, Lernen und Erleben, um dem komplexen Prozess der Bindung an einen körperlich aktiven Lebensstil gerecht zu werden [22,40,41]. Diese Verzahnungen gehen auch mit besonderen Anforderungen an die praktische Bewegungsförderung einher [42].…”