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. 2021 Jul 18;18(14):7628.
doi: 10.3390/ijerph18147628.

Considerations for Individual-Level Versus Whole-School Physical Activity Interventions: Stakeholder Perspectives

Byron Tibbitts  1 , Kathryn Willis  1 , Tom Reid  1 , Simon J Sebire  1 , Rona Campbell  2 , Ruth R Kipping  2 , Rebecca Kandiyali  2 , Russell Jago  1   3
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Considerations for Individual-Level Versus Whole-School Physical Activity Interventions: Stakeholder Perspectives

Byron Tibbitts et al. Int J Environ Res Public Health. .

Abstract

Strategies to address declining physical activity levels among children and adolescents have focused on 'individual-level' approaches which often fail to demonstrate impact. Recent attention has been on an alternative 'whole-school' approach to increasing physical activity that involves promoting physical activity throughout all aspects of the school environment. There is, however, a lack of evidence on how whole-school physical activity approaches could be implemented in the UK. This qualitative study explored perspectives of key stakeholders on potential reasons for the lack of impact of individual-level school-based interventions on children's physical activity, and key considerations for adopting a whole-school approach. Nineteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with a range of stakeholders involved in the implementation of physical activity programmes in UK schools. Data were analysed using an inductive approach. Respondents suggested that individual-level school-based interventions to increase physical activity often failed to consult end users in the design and were typically implemented in environments unsupportive of long-term change. They subsequently outlined specific barriers and key facilitators for the adoption and implementation of whole-school approaches in UK settings and recommended a shift in research foci towards building an evidence base around educational outcomes and whole-school implementation insights.

Keywords: physical activity; qualitative research; stakeholder perspective; whole-school approach.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. Neither the funder nor the sponsor had a role in the design of the study; in the collection, analyses, or interpretation of data; in the writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to publish the results.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Interconnected school factors increasing the potential for intervention failure.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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