Evidence on the reach and impact of the social physical activity phenomenon parkrun: A scoping review

Grunseit, Anne; Richards, Justin; Reece, Lindsey; Bauman, Adrian; Merom, Dafna

doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2020.101231

Cited by 37 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…Here, we suggest that these issues do not belong in any single discipline, and that approaches need to draw from traditionally disparate areas of science (e.g., sports science, evolutionary anthropology, social psychology) to effectively inform public policy and civic engagement [ 85 ]. The research here takes a broad interdisciplinary, evolutionary and psychological approach to human social behavior, drawing from an extensive literature demonstrating that humans derive intrinsic pleasure from connecting, coordinating and cooperating together, and that our cooperative sociality profoundly influences homeostatic function, wellbeing and health [ 87 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This could inform a broader understanding of how these variables relate to exercise experiences and adherence [82][83][84]. Interventions could better leverage and target the potential of social connection, reward and support to benefit the exercise experiences and health outcomes of individuals across a wider range of personality traits and socio-cultural backgrounds [85].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from parkrun

2021

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There is growing academic, civic and policy interest in the public health benefits of community-based exercise events. Shifting the emphasis from competitive sport to communal activity, these events have wide appeal. In addition to physical health benefits, regular participation can reduce social isolation and loneliness through opportunities for social connection. Taking a broad evolutionary and social psychological perspective, we suggest that social factors warrant more attention in current approaches to physical (in)activity and exercise behavior. We develop and test the hypothesis that social reward and support in exercise are associated with positive exercise experiences and greater performance outputs. Using a repeated-measures design, we examine the influence of social perceptions and behavior on subjective enjoyment, energy, fatigue, effort, and objective performance (run times) among a UK sample of parkrun participants. Social factors were associated with greater subjective enjoyment and energy. Higher subjective energy, in turn, was associated with faster run times, without any corresponding increase in perceived effort. No significant main effects of social factors on fatigue, performance or effort were detected. The role of social structural factors has long been recognized in public health approaches to physical activity. Our results indicate that there should be greater research attention on how positive and rewarding social behaviors and experiences—particularly subjective enjoyment and energy, and perceptions of community social support and belonging—influence exercise-related behavior, psychology and physiology, and promote health through collective physical activity. The research also supplements traditional emphases on social facilitation and team sport that have dominated sport and exercise psychology and offers new avenues for understanding the deep connections among psychological, social and physical function in everyday health.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from parkrun

2021

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“…Research evidence suggests parkrun can positively impact health and wellbeing [21]. However, an unintended consequence of its organic growth is the risk that certain groups and communities are less well represented in the parkrun population.…”

Section: Background To Parkrunmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging people with long-term health conditions in a community-based physical activity initiative: a qualitative follow-up study evaluating the parkrun PROVE project

Quirk

Haake

2021

BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil

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Background The “parkrun: running or volunteering for everyone” (PROVE) project was an example of a community-based physical activity and volunteering initiative for people living with long-term health conditions in England. The 3 year project involved appointing volunteer Outreach Ambassadors whose role was to promote parkrun to people living with long-term health conditions through various outreach activities. This qualitative study aimed to understand the experience of delivering the project from the perspective of volunteer Outreach Ambassadors and the PROVE Project Manager. Methods The PROVE Project Manager and ten PROVE Outreach Ambassadors across nine health condition groups were interviewed by the researcher (asthma, blood pressure, deaf and hard of hearing, dementia, diabetes, endometriosis, heart conditions, learning disabilities and/or autism, and obesity). Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Results Four themes and nine sub-themes were generated. The participants highlighted challenges in measuring the project’s success and bringing about meaningful and lasting change, and reflected on the value of the project as a learning opportunity. Despite some successes, it was thought that the project had limited reach outside of the existing parkrun community. The Outreach Ambassadors reflected on their experiences in the role and the skills required, finding it rewarding and highlighting the importance of networking and forming connections with key stakeholders. The findings are discussed in comparison to interviews conducted with the Outreach Ambassadors 12 months earlier. Conclusions This study provides evidence to support the public health potential of parkrun though targeted initiatives such as the PROVE project and provides a critical reflection on what worked and what did not work when delivering the project. The findings have relevance for organisations wishing to implement similar outreach initiatives using a volunteer workforce, including recommendations for resource management, communication, leadership, fostering volunteer autonomy and defining and capturing success.

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“…Research evidence suggests parkrun can positively impact health and wellbeing (20). However, an unintended consequence of its organic growth is the risk that certain groups and communities are less well represented in the parkrun population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Engaging People with Long-Term Health Conditions in a Community-Based Physical Activity Initiative: a Qualitative Follow-Up Study Evaluating the Parkrun PROVE Project

Quirk

Haake

2021

Preprint

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BackgroundThe “parkrun: Running or Volunteering for Everyone” (PROVE) project was an example of a community-based physical activity and volunteering initiative for people living with long-term health conditions in England. The 3 year project involved appointing volunteer Outreach Ambassadors whose role was to promote parkrun to people living with long-term health conditions through various outreach activities. This qualitative study aimed to understand the experience of delivering the project from the perspective of volunteer Outreach Ambassadors and the PROVE Project Manager. MethodsThe PROVE Project Manager and ten PROVE Outreach Ambassadors across nine health condition groups were interviewed by the researcher (asthma, blood pressure, deaf and hard of hearing, dementia, diabetes, endometriosis, heart conditions, learning disabilities and/or autism, and obesity). Interview transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis which created four themes and nine sub-themes. ResultsThe participants highlighted challenges in measuring the project’s success and bringing about meaningful and lasting change, and reflected on the value of the project as a learning opportunity. Despite some successes, it was thought that the project had limited reach outside of the existing parkrun community. The Outreach Ambassadors reflected on their experiences in the role and the skills required, finding it rewarding and highlighting the importance of networking and forming connections with key stakeholders. The findings are discussed in comparison to interviews conducted with the Outreach Ambassadors 12 months earlier. Conclusions This study provides evidence to support the public health potential of parkrun though targeted initiatives such as the PROVE project and provides a critical reflection on what worked and what did not work when delivering the project. The findings have relevance for organisations wishing to implement similar outreach initiatives using a volunteer workforce, including recommendations for resource management, communication, leadership, fostering volunteer autonomy and defining and capturing success.

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Evidence on the reach and impact of the social physical activity phenomenon parkrun: A scoping review

Cited by 37 publications

References 35 publications

Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from parkrun

Social reward and support effects on exercise experiences and performance: Evidence from parkrun

Engaging people with long-term health conditions in a community-based physical activity initiative: a qualitative follow-up study evaluating the parkrun PROVE project

Engaging People with Long-Term Health Conditions in a Community-Based Physical Activity Initiative: a Qualitative Follow-Up Study Evaluating the Parkrun PROVE Project

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