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Objectives: This study focused on how adolescents' perceptions of coaches' health promotion activity predict maintained participation and dropout in organized sports in emerging adulthood. In addition, differences in lifestyle habits between maintainers, dropouts, and nonparticipants in organized sports were explored., Materials and Methods: Overall, 616 adolescents reported organized sports participation in the Finnish Health Promoting Sports Club (FHPSC) study at ages 15 and 19. Of these, 323 reported coach's health promotion activity on health topics at the age of 15. An index of a coach's general health promotion activity was formed. At age 19, all study participants reported their lifestyle habits., Results: Among males, those who had perceived coaches' general health promotion activity as frequent were more likely to be maintainers than dropouts (48.6% vs. 20.0%) ( p = .002). Among females, there was no significant difference (32.0% vs. 28.4%). Logistic regression analysis adjusted for gender showed that perceiving coach's general health promotion activity as frequent increased the odds of being a maintainer rather than a dropout. Moreover, maintainers had higher odds of having healthy lifestyle habits when compared to nonparticipants (related to physical activity; sleep; fruit and vegetable consumption; and cigarette use) or dropouts (related to physical activity; and cigarette use). In addition, dropouts had higher odds of having healthy lifestyle habits than nonparticipants (related to sleep; and cigarette use)., Conclusions: Perceiving coaches' health promotion activity as frequent was related to maintained participation in organized sports among males. Maintainers were more likely to have more healthy lifestyle habits than nonparticipants and dropouts. There is a need to invest in coaches' health promotion activity when it is infrequent. A more detailed understanding is needed of coaches' health promotion activity that supports both maintained participation in sports, especially among females, and healthy lifestyle habits in emerging adulthood.

We investigated the longitudinal associations between sports participation patterns in youth and physical activity (PA) in adulthood. PA was self-reported triannually between ages 9-18 ( n  = 2550, 52% females) and measured by accelerometers in mid-adulthood ( n  = 1002, 61% females, aged 48 ± 4 years). Three latent classes of youth sports participation emerged for both genders: 1) "organized sports" (persistent high PA with regular sports club activities), 2) "unorganized sports" (persistent high PA without sports club activities and 3) "low activity" (low PA with decreasing sports involvement). These groups comprised 29%, 34% and 37% of males, and 23%, 27% and 50% of females, respectively. Youth "organized sports" was associated with higher adult PA in both males (+1166 steps/day, p  = 0.012) and females (+15 min/day moderate-to-vigorous PA [MVPA], +1064 steps/day, +1066 leisure-time steps/day; p  ≤ 0.005) compared to "low activity". In males, youth "organized sports" was associated with higher adult PA (+1103 steps/day, -26 min/day sedentary time and +133 counts/minute higher total PA, p  ≤ 0.039) compared to "unorganized sports". In females, "unorganized sports" in youth was related to higher adult PA (+10 min/day MVPA, p  = 0.034) when compared to "low activity". Sustained participation in youth organized sports, and for females, also in unorganized sports, is positively linked with adult PA.

The study was undertaken to explore the experiences of older adults and service providers in a settings-based health promotion initiative in a football club. We conducted semi-structured interviews with 10 older adults attending an 'Extra Time Hub' (ETH) and two staff delivering the initiative. Our reflexive thematic analysis generated six themes. Findings revealed the brand of the sports club attracted some to join the ETH, but through partnerships with local agencies, the initiative was also successful in widening participation beyond older adults with an interest in football. Participants perceived that the ETH was beneficial for their mental health, helped them develop social connections, and promoted positive physical activity experiences. Moreover, the variety of pleasures derived from participation were also discussed. Our findings also illustrate the central role of staff in older adults' experiences of this form of health promotion. Overall, this study contributes to understandings of settings-based health promotion activities in sports clubs, and also demonstrates the potential for sports clubs to widen engagement with the local community through health promotion for older adults., (© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: It is a common belief that most sports clubs and organisations are primarily focused on elite sports while placing less emphasis on the promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA). However, there is a lack of evidence on this topic in the scientific literature. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the level and correlates of the commitment of sports organisations in Europe to HEPA promotion., Methods: Representatives of 536 sports organisations from 36 European countries responded to our survey. A multiple regression analysis was conducted with the commitment of sports organisation to HEPA promotion (0 ["not at all"] - 10 ["most highly"]) as the outcome variable and organisation type ("national sport association" reference group [ref], "European sports federation", "national umbrella sports organisation", "national Olympic committee", "national sport-for-all organisation"), headquarters in a European Union member state ("no" [ref], "yes"), region of Europe ("Western" [ref], "Central and Eastern", "Northern", "Southern"), commitment to elite sports ("low" [ref], "medium", "high"), and awareness of Sports Club for Health (SCforH) guidelines ("no" [ref], "yes") as explanatory variables., Results: Approximately 75.2% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 71.5, 78.8) of sports organisations were highly committed to elite sports. Only 28.2% (95% CI: 24.4, 32.0) of sports organisations reported a high commitment to HEPA promotion. A higher commitment to HEPA promotion was associated with the national Olympic committees (β = 1.48 [95% CI: 0.41, 2.55], p = 0.007), national sport-for-all organisations (β = 1.68 [95% CI: 0.74, 2.62], p < 0.001), location in Central and Eastern Europe (β = 0.56 [95% CI: 0.01, 1.12], p = 0.047), and awareness of SCforH guidelines (β = 0.86 [95% CI: 0.35, 1.37], p < 0.001)., Conclusion: From our findings, it seems that most sports organisations are primarily focused on elite sports. Coordinated actions at the European Union and national levels are needed to improve the promotion of HEPA through sports organisations. In this endeavour, it may be useful to consider national Olympic committees, national sport-for-all organisations, and relevant sports organisations in Central and Eastern Europe as role models and to raise the awareness of SCforH guidelines., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Aim: This study aimed to examine the relationship between group exercise and exercise adherence among older community-dwelling individuals who attended a community sports club and to discuss the exercise programs that promoted exercise habits., Methods: A total of 227 participants (117 women and 110 men), aged ≥ 65 years, who participated in the exercise programs (Wellness Age Club), provided by Resol no Mori, for at least 6 months from June 2017 to March 2019, were included in the analysis. Results obtained from the semi-annual questionnaire surveys, physical fitness tests, and annual medical check-ups were used, along with data on individual participation in programs and dates of participation. "Exercise adherence" was defined as participation in exercise programs for an average of ≥ 2 days per week for at least 24 weeks. "Group program participation" was defined as participation in group programs for an average of one or more times per week. The relationship between group program participation and exercise program adherence was analyzed using Poisson regression analysis., Results: Group program participants were more likely to continue attending exercise programs in comparison to non-participants (Prevalence ratio=3.63 [95% CI: 1.98-6.65], p< 0.01). There was also a significant positive association between group program participation and exercise adherence among women (8.08 [1.94-33.56], p< 0.01) and men (2.84 [1.39-5.78], p< 0.01)., Conclusions: Our results suggest that group exercise programs increased social interaction among participants and promoted exercise adherence. Encouraging older people to attend group exercise may increase the number of older people who regularly exercise.

Longer durations for near-work activities, such as studying, worsen eyesight. In contrast, outdoor exercise is effective in reducing the risk of developing myopia. Despite these findings, however, the interaction between studying and exercise in eyesight has not been quantitatively evaluated. Moreover, since there is a culture of attending lessons in Japan, it is important to investigate the relationship between elementary school activities, such as cram schools or sports clubs, and vision. Therefore, in this study, we examined whether attending cram schools and/or sports clubs is associated with the use of glasses among elementary school students. We conducted a survey among 7419 elementary school students in Tokyo, Japan using a food education questionnaire. A logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the relationship between wearing glasses, an objective variable, and attending sports clubs and cram schools. Sex and school year were considered confounding factors. The results of this study showed that students who attended only sports clubs were more likely to be categorized into the "not wearing glasses" group ( p = 0.03, OR = 1.45), whereas those who attended only cram schools were more likely to be categorized into the "wearing glasses" group ( p = 0.008, OR = 0.67). In addition, students who attended both cram schools and sports clubs were more likely to be categorized into the "not wearing glasses" group than those who only attended cram schools ( p = 0.28, OR = 0.85). Our findings indicate that attending not only cram schools but also sports clubs may prevent deterioration of eyesight. Parents and health care providers need to take these findings into account in order to prevent visual impairment in children.

Background: The rate of participation in community-based sport by boys and men has been double that of girls and women. Contributing to this is the fact that some sports have been traditionally male-only or at least very male-dominated. Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in participation in sport by sex and age across 10 major sports in Australia over a 4-year period. In conjunction with the analysis of participation trends, the gender strategies that were developed and implemented during this time are reviewed. Methods: This study encompassed all sport participants registered with one of 10 State Sporting Associations in Victoria, Australia in 2015 and in 2019. Participation rates by region, age and sex were calculated. State sport and health policies relating to female participation in sport were reviewed. Results: There were 749,037 registrations in 2015 and 868,266 in 2019. A comparison between 2015 and 2019 shows increases in participation for women and girls across all age groups (4-84 years), and highest increases for those aged 4 (6.6%) and 5-9 (4.7%). For boys there was a considerable decrease in participation for those aged 5-9 years (-3.8%). Discussion: This study provides evidence that whilst participation in sport is still dominated by males, the gap might be gradually closing and this is in line with recent strategies and investments into sport and wider cultural developments in society. The implications of these findings are discussed., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Eime, Charity, Harvey and Westerbeek.)

Researchers and policymakers acknowledge sports clubs (SCs) as health promoting settings. Limited research links the health promoting sports club (HPSC) concept with evidence-driven strategies to provide SCs guidance to develop health promotion (HP) interventions. As implementation science insists on theoretically grounded interventions, the present work's objective was to provide SCs an evidence-driven intervention framework for planning, developing and implementing HP initiatives. Four iteratively sequenced steps were undertaken: (i) investigation of 'health promoting' indicators, (ii) adaptation of the HPSC concept to create the HPSC model, (iii) formulation of published evidence-driven guidelines into strategies and implementable intervention components (ICs) and (iv) merging the HPSC model with the ICs to create an intervention planning framework for SCs. First, researchers drafted five HPSC indicators. Second, they defined three SC levels (macro, meso and micro) and four health determinants (organizational, environmental, economic and social) to create an HPSC model. Third, researchers used published guidelines to develop 14 strategies with 55 ICs. Fourth, three workshops (one each with French master-level sport students, French sport and health professionals and Swedish sport and health professionals) had participants classify the ICs into the model. The HPSC model and intervention framework are starting points to plan, select and deliver interventions to increase SC HP. This planning framework is usable in several ways: (i) clubs can apply strategies to achieve specific goals, (ii) clubs can target specific levels with corresponding ICs and (iii) ICs can be used to address particular health determinants., (© The Author(s) 2020. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Background: Excess weight is associated with an increased risk of poor health and premature mortality. This is more problematic for men than for women because men have a lower life expectancy and a higher prevalence of several lifestyle-related diseases. A concept whereby overweight male supporters of professional football clubs are recruited and offered a weight-loss intervention has been developed in Scotland. In the present study, we explore participants' experiences of a similar pilot intervention, called ViSiT, conducted with supporters in one ice hockey club and one football club in Sweden to assess the feasibility of using the intervention in a Swedish context. Methods: In this user centered evaluation, focus groups were conducted with 12 men who had completed the 12-week ViSiT intervention. Participants discussed reasons for participating in and completing the intervention, effects of the intervention, advantages, and areas of improvement of the intervention, and thoughts on the club's involvement. The material was analyzed using thematic analysis according to Braun and Clarke. Results: The analyses revealed four themes: reasons to participate, motivation and reinforcement, change of habit, and areas for improvement. The intervention was seen as an opportunity to change daily lifestyle behaviors. The group format, as well as the involvement of a prestigious sports club, was important for signing up to the intervention and for motivating continued involvement. The intervention had also resulted in increased knowledge on health and changed mindsets about being more attentive to regulating day-to-day behavior. Although the overall feedback on the intervention was positive, the participants suggested that possibilities to have more individual coaching should be added. Conclusions: The ViSiT weight loss and lifestyle intervention may be feasible in a Swedish context to reach overweight men at risk of poor health. The ice hockey and football club supporters expressed similar experiences from participating in the intervention. ViSiT seem to have a potential to be adopted by many sports clubs for a widespread reach to a group normally considered reluctant to participate in lifestyle change programs., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Skagerström, Hjertstedt, Dannapfel, Müssener and Leijon.)

The purpose of this study is to explore the meaning of the middle school sports club and to understand the impact on the self-esteem and social development of middle school students participating in the school sports club. To achieve the purpose of this study, a questionnaire survey was conducted on 450 students by selecting a middle school. Of the 420 collected questionnaires, 399 questionnaires were used as a valid sample. As a result of examining seven areas of self-esteem, self-esteem in five areas excluding domestic ego and personality ego was highest in the group that participated in the league. As a result of examining the difference in social development according to the type of participation in school sports clubs, the league participation group was higher in all five areas. As a result of examining the difference in self-esteem according to the period of participation in school sports clubs, the group participating in the league was high in six areas excluding physical ability, however, it was difficult to see a statistically significant difference. As for the factor related to physical ability, the group with the longest participation period of 13 months or longer was the highest, and there is a statistically significant difference. As a result of examining the difference in social development according to the period of participation in school sports clubs, the group under 6 months was the highest in four areas other than physical activity. Physical activity was highest in the group over 13 months., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported., (Copyright © 2021 Korean Society of Exercise Rehabilitation.)

There is limited knowledge about how a settings-based approach can be best applied in a sports club setting. This qualitative exploratory study examined whether and how sporting programs focusing on individual behavior change (i.e., increasing physical activity levels of inactive people) and implemented on the micro-level of the sports club, can be a first step towards a settings-based approach (i.e., inclusion of the meso- and macro-level of the sports club). In addition, this study explored factors that influenced the inclusion of the meso- and macro-level of the sports club. Telephone interviews were conducted with representatives of sixteen sports clubs about program activities on all levels of the sports club. Thematic analyses were performed to explore stimulating and hindering factors. After multiple years, six sports clubs also had program activities on the meso-level and twelve sports clubs had activities on the macro-level. Program activities differed per level within a sports club and on the same level between sports clubs. Cultural and social factors influenced macro-level activities, while predominantly economic factors influenced meso-level activities. Based on these factors, sports clubs could develop, prioritize, and choose strategies that support them in developing a settings-based approach when increasing physical activity levels of inactive citizens.

Sport is a developing setting and a relevant system in health promotion but there are few examples of settings-based initiatives and systems thinking in sport. The Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) Healthy Club Project (HCP) adopts a settings approach delivered through and by grassroots clubs who respond to local needs while working within a national support system. The aim of this evaluation was to assess and describe the health promotion impact and experience of the HCP. Healthy Clubs ( n = 23) and Control Clubs ( n = 10) completed a Healthy Club Questionnaire at the start and end of the 20-month HCP and Healthy Clubs took part in focus group discussions. Healthy Clubs, using the structures of the HCP, a commitment to health and community engagement, demonstrated a significant improvement in their overall orientation to health promotion, which was not apparent in Control Clubs. The health promotion message is pervading into many aspects of the GAA club apart from that which relates to the day to day business of coaching and providing physical activity for all. The HCP represents health promotion activity embedded within and across systems, with further development and evaluation recommended to measure delivery and impact at the individual level, organisational, and wider societal levels.

SARS-CoV-2 can spread by close contact through large droplet spray and indirect contact via contaminated objects. There is mounting evidence that it can also be transmitted by inhalation of infected saliva aerosol particles. These particles are generated when breathing, talking, laughing, coughing or sneezing. It can be assumed that aerosol particle concentrations should be kept low in order to minimize the potential risk of airborne virus transmission. This paper presents measurements of aerosol particle concentrations in a gym, where saliva aerosol production is pronounced. 35 test persons performed physical exercise and aerosol particle concentrations, CO 2 concentrations, air temperature and relative humidity were obtained in the room of 886 m³. A separate test was used to discriminate between human endogenous and exogenous aerosol particles. Aerosol particle removal by mechanical ventilation and mobile air cleaning units was measured. The gym test showed that ventilation with air-change rate ACH = 2.2 h -1 , i.e. 4.5 times the minimum of the Dutch Building Code, was insufficient to stop the significant aerosol concentration rise over 30 min. Air cleaning alone with ACH = 1.39 h -1 had a similar effect as ventilation alone. Simplified mathematical models were engaged to provide further insight into ventilation, air cleaning and deposition. It was shown that combining the above-mentioned ventilation and air cleaning can reduce aerosol particle concentrations with 80 to 90% , depending on aerosol size. This combination of existing ventilation supplemented with air cleaning is energy efficient and can also be applied for other indoor environments., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2021 The Authors.)

This article is the result of an ethnographic work on baton twirling clubs in Switzerland: clubs with few members coming from a modest origin, offering a social and physical activity with little resonance, composed of children, and young girls. The supervision is mainly the responsibility of close volunteers: family members, friends or neighbors and, for the majority of them, women. It is therefore an environment where people know each other, where gestures of familiarity are the rule and where tensions may sometimes arise due to various conflicts of proximity. Baton twirling is based on a public display of participants and the competitive aspiration for a self-presentation that solicits feminine stereotypes. It shows sociabilities and socialities framed by gender and age relationships: within clubs, knowledge transmission and childcare are combined in women's practices. The relationships between women and children transcend learning relationships. These relationships, which go beyond a vertical transmission of knowledge, call for approaches inspired by the theories of care . What is the meaning of these relationships based on women's care from the point of view of sociality and in relation to the institution of sport? This is the main question that will be addressed here. Approaches of care emphasize accompaniment, maintenance. They seem to be a good way to identify the contours of a "sports maternalism" which makes such a commitment valid while at the same time conferring legitimacy on a sports practice that is poorly considered., Competing Interests: The author declares that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Ly.)

Within a time span of only a few months, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has managed to spread across the world. This virus can spread by close contact, which includes large droplet spray and inhalation of microscopic droplets, and by indirect contact via contaminated objects. While in most countries, supermarkets have remained open, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, authorities have ordered many other shops, restaurants, bars, music theaters and indoor sports centers to be closed. As part of COVID-19 (semi)lock-down exit strategies, many government authorities are now (May-June 2020) allowing a gradual re-opening, where sometimes indoor sport centers are last in line to be permitted to re-open. This technical note discusses the challenges in safely re-opening these facilities and the measures already suggested by others to partly tackle these challenges. It also elaborates three potential additional measures and based on these additional measures, it suggests the concept of a certificate of equivalence that could allow indoor sports centers with such a certificate to re-open safely and more rapidly. It also attempts to stimulate increased preparedness of indoor sports centers that should allow them to remain open safely during potential next waves of SARS-CoV-2 as well as future pandemics. It is concluded that fighting situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic and limiting economic damage requires increased collaboration and research by virologists, epidemiologists, microbiologists, aerosol scientists, building physicists, building services engineers and sports scientists., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2020 The Authors.)

Social capital (SC) affects quality of life, sport behaviours and health in individual and community context. The aim was to analyse how sports activity (SA) contributes to SC accumulation in a post-transformation country. A combination of four longitudinal, nationwide datasets was used. Instrumental variable method was applied. Results show that in 19+ Poles, on a regional level, SA improves SC. This suggest that sports clubs and at least some types of sports infrastructure can constitute a valid tool for social policies aiming at improving social involvement. The self-triggering character of SA is a valuable asset for social impact regionally and beyond. It is important to estimate the changes in a long-term perspective, due to the inertness of the SC.

Background: Lifestyle interventions to prevent paediatric obesity often target family and peer settings; their success is likely to depend on the influence that peers and families exert on children's lifestyle behaviors at different developmental stages., Objective: First, to determine whether children's lifestyle behavior more closely resembles their peers' or siblings' behaviors. Secondly, to investigate longitudinally whether children's behavioral change is predicted by that of their peers or their siblings as they grow older., Methods: The European prospective IDEFICS/I.Family cohort (baseline survey: 2007/2008, first follow-up: 2009/2010, and second follow-up: 2013/2014) aims at investigating risk factors for overweight and related behaviors during childhood and adolescence. The present investigation includes 2694 observations of children and their siblings aged 2 to 18 years. Peers were defined as same-sex, same-age children in the same community and identified from the full cohort. The longitudinal analysis (mean follow-up time: 3.7 years) includes 525 sibling pairs. Children's lifestyle behaviors including fast food consumption (frequency/week), screen time (hours/week) and sports club participation (hours/week) were assessed by questionnaire. Data were analyzed using multilevel linear models., Results: Children's lifestyle behavior was associated with the respective behavior of their peers and sibling for all 3 behaviors. For fast food consumption, the peer resemblance was more than 6-fold higher than the sibling resemblance and the peer resemblance surpassed the sibling resemblance by the age of 9-10 years. The similarities with peers for fast food consumption and screen time steadily increased, while the similarities with siblings steadily decreased with increasing age of the children (P interaction  < 0.001). In contrast, the relative importance of peers and siblings on sports club duration did not vary by the age of the children. Longitudinal results showed that children's changes in fast food consumption were more strongly associated with those in their peer group than their sibling, in particular if the age gap between siblings was large., Conclusion: In conclusion, our results support the implementation of multi-setting interventions for improving lifestyle behaviors in children. Our findings might also guide future intervention studies in the choice of timing and setting in which interventions are likely to be most effective. From the ages of 9-10 years onwards, family- or home-based interventions targeting children's fast food intake and screen time behavior may become less effective than school- or community-based interventions aimed at peer groups.

Aims: Insufficient physical activity (PA) is one of the largest public health challenges of our time and requires a multisectoral public-health response. PA recommendations state that all children and adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA (MVPA) daily and carry out vigorous PA (VPA) three times weekly. While participation in sports club activities is known to enhance the probability of reaching the recommended overall PA level, less is known about the contribution of sports club participation to VPA, and few cross-national comparisons have been carried out. The purpose of this paper is to study whether participation in sports club activities is associated with meeting the overall PA and VPA recommendations among children and adolescents across six European countries, namely Belgium (Flanders), Czech Republic, Finland, France, Ireland and Sweden. Methods: Analyses were carried out on existing self-reported national data sets using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. Results: Results indicate that approximately two-thirds of children and adolescents take part in sports club activities in the given countries. Sports club participants were more likely to meet the overall PA recommendations (OR 2.4-6.4) and VPA recommendation (OR 2.8-5.0) than non-participants. Conclusions: The extent to which overall PA and/or VPA is gained through sports club participation versus other settings needs to be further studied. Nonetheless, it can be argued that sports clubs have an important position in PA promotion for younger populations.

Background: The organized sports sector has received increased interest as a setting to stimulate physical activity among inactive target groups. To include many inactive people and to obtain population health benefits, it is important that effective sporting programs are sustained (i.e. continuation of program activities) over a long period of time. This study identified the factors influencing the long-term sustainability of these kind of sporting programs located within local sports clubs in the Netherlands., Methods: Fourteen Dutch sporting programs aimed at increasing physical activity levels of inactive population groups and funded within the National Action Plan for Sport and Exercise (NAPSE) were the focus of this study. The programs were developed by ten Dutch National Sports Federations (NSFs) and implemented by different sports clubs in the Netherlands within a three-year funded implementation period (2008-2011). This research consisted of semi-structured face-to-face interviews with the program coordinators of the NSFs ( n  = 14) and semi-structured telephone interviews with representatives of sports clubs that provided the programs ( n  = 17 continued the program, n  = 11 discontinued the program) six and a half years after the funding period ended (November 2017-March 2018). A sustainability framework with five pre-specified main themes (i.e. program design, implementation, trainer/coach, organizational setting, broader community environment) guided data collection and (deductive) thematic analysis., Results: Ten of the fourteen NAPSE funded sporting programs were sustained at the level of the NSFs. Most factors facilitating (+) and impeding (-) the long-term sustainability of the programs were common to both NSFs and sports clubs, like program adaptation (+) and a lack of program financing (-). Program evaluation (+) and high program costs (-) were specific factors mentioned by NSFs, while factors related to human resources (e.g. lack of volunteers (-)) or the sports club nature (e.g. social aspect in program design (+)) applied to sports clubs. The factors were summarized in the form of a checklist., Conclusions: Key factors influencing the long-term sustainability of the sporting programs were identified. The results can be used to develop strategies to promote long-term sustainability of these kind of programs and inform funding guidelines in countries with a similar organized sports infrastructure., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s). 2019.)

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of the differences in subfactors of communication competence on exercise participation types (clubs, applications use). Communication competence focus on the communication part of the individual's interpersonal competence. Therefore, communication competence can be predicted to be related to the type of exercise participation. Accordingly, the targets of this study were clubs, which had group characteristics, and fitness applications, which had individual characteristics. There was a significant difference as a result of the association between communication competence and the type of exercise participation. In terms of club membership, significant differences were found in communication competence skills according to exercise participation types in that self-disclosure of subjects who joined clubs was significant, social relaxation of subjects who intend to join a club was significant, and the immediacy of fitness applications users was significant., Competing Interests: CONFLICT OF INTEREST No potential conflict of interest relevant to this article was reported.

Despite the high rates of participation in sports clubs among Finnish youth, only a few reach elite levels. This study investigated a number of motivational factors, enjoyment, and perceived physical competence perceptions of Finnish youth athletes in their adolescence and then four years later to help understand determinants of elite level attainment. The sample consisted of 824 young athletes born in 1995, who were playing soccer, ice hockey, or basketball in the Finnish sports club system. As youths, participants completed measurements of the perceived task and ego climates, task and ego goal orientations, autonomous and controlled motivations, amotivation, sport enjoyment, and perceived physical competence. Retrospectively, the same participants completed measurements of task, ego, social relatedness, and autonomy supportive climates four years later. All variables were compared to self-reported elite status attainment. Additionally, we examined some demographic characteristics. Prospectively, the self-reported elite athletes ( n = 79) reported significantly ( p < 0.05) higher perceptions of a task climate, perceived physical competence, sport enjoyment, and autonomous motivation and a lower level of amotivation compared to nonelite athletes. The meaningfulness (Hedges' g ) of the significant differences ranged from small to moderate. Retrospectively, elite athletes indicated significantly ( p < 0.05) higher perception of a task climate and a social relatedness climate during their sporting career. Hedges' g ranged from moderate to large in meaningfulness. The findings highlighted the importance of focusing on the positive aspects surrounding elite athletes' perceptions to promote youth athletes' development, while not discounting the importance of physical size and talent.

Background: Health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) promotion programs are implemented in sports clubs. The purpose of this study was to examine the characteristics of the insufficiently active participants that benefit from these programs., Methods: Data of three sporting programs, developed for insufficiently active adults, were used for this study. These sporting programs were implemented in different sports clubs in the Netherlands. Participants completed an online questionnaire at baseline and after six months (n = 458). Of this sample, 35.1% (n = 161) was insufficiently active (i.e. not meeting HEPA levels) at baseline. Accordingly, two groups were compared: participants who were insufficiently active at baseline, but increased their physical activity to HEPA levels after six months (activated group, n = 86) versus participants who were insufficiently active both at baseline and after six months (non-activated group, n = 75). Potential associated characteristics (demographic, social, sport history, physical activity) were included as independent variables in bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses., Results: The percentage of active participants increased significantly from baseline to six months (from 64.9 to 76.9%, p < 0.05). The bivariate logistic regression analyses showed that participants in the activated group were more likely to receive support from family members with regard to their sport participation (62.8% vs. 42.7%, p = 0.02) and spent more time in moderate-intensity physical activity (128 ± 191 min/week vs. 70 ± 106 min/week, p = 0.02) at baseline compared with participants in the non-activated group. These results were confirmed in the multivariate logistic regression analyses: when receiving support from most family members, there is a 216% increase in the odds of being in the activated group (OR = 2.155; 95% CI: 1.118-4.154, p = 0.02) and for each additional 1 min/week spent in moderate-intensity physical activity, the odds increases with 0.3% (OR = 1.003; 95% CI: 1.001-1.006, p = 0.02)., Conclusions: The results suggest that HEPA sporting programs can be used to increase HEPA levels of insufficiently active people, but it seems a challenge to reach the least active ones. It is important that promotional strategies and channels are tailored to the target group. Furthermore, strategies that promote family support may enhance the impact of the programs.

Actions in partnership across sectors is one principle for the promotion of health behaviours. The objective of this study was to describe the participation in a sports club-based exercise programme-named JACKPOT-following an intervention in a health care setting. Focus was given to the recruitment into JACKPOT, the attendance level, and whether the different programme elements were implemented as intented. The practicability of the project was also retrospectively rated. Participants were 238 inactive people (50% women) between 30 and 65 years of age who attended a health resort. Of these, 77% were assigned to the intervention group (IG). The recruitment into the 12 JACKPOT sessions and the attendance levels were recorded via attendance lists. The implementation of the intervention standards was assessed with structured interviews and participatory observation. The Pragmatic Explanatory Continuum Indicator Summary (PRECIS)-2 tool served to rate the practicability of the project. Almost 50% of the IG subjects attended JACKPOT sessions at least once and 54% of the attenders visited ≥75% of the 12 sessions. Some of the programme elements were not delivered fully. The process evaluation results showed that the project worked in a real-world setting, and also uncovered potential reasons such as incomplete information delivery for the moderate recruitment and attendance level., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Some children are inactive on weekends but active on weekdays. Correlates of such behavior remain to be clarified. We assessed school, out-of-school and family correlates of compliance with physical activity (PA) recommendations during weekdays among weekend non-compliant youth in Switzerland. Cross-sectional data collected in 2013-2015 from the SOPHYA study. PA was objectively measured during one week using waist-worn accelerometers. Compliance with PA recommendations (≥ 60 min/day of moderate-to-vigorous PA) was assessed separately for weekend and weekdays. Data on school sport, transport to school, sports club participation, household income, parent's PA and education were collected by phone interview and questionnaires. Data from 540 youth (316 girls) aged 6-16 years were available for analysis. Participants who were compliant to recommendations during weekdays were more frequently boys (50.3% vs . 31.4%, p  < 0.001), more often participated in sports club (73.3% vs . 64.3%, p  = 0.024), and were more prone to adopt active transport to school (75.8% vs . 62.0%, p  = 0.001) than non-compliers. Multivariable adjustment showed male gender [odds ratio and (95% confidence interval): 4.30 (2.71-6.81)], sports club participation [1.91 (1.21-3.02)], and PA-active parent [1.98 (1.20-3.28)] were significantly associated with weekday compliance. Being a male, a sports club participant and having a physically active parent significantly increase compliance with PA recommendations during weekdays among Swiss youth who are inactive on weekends.

Background: The number of sports facilities, sports clubs, or city parks in a residential neighbourhood may affect the likelihood that people participate in sports and their preferences for a certain sports location. This study aimed to assess whether objective physical and socio-spatial neighbourhood characteristics relate to sports participation and preferences for sports locations., Methods: Data from Dutch adults (N = 1201) on sports participation, their most-used sports location, and socio-demographic characteristics were collected using an online survey. Objective land-use data and the number of sports facilities were gathered for each participant using a 2000-m buffer around their home locations, whereas socio-spatial neighbourhood characteristics (i.e., density, socio-economic status, and safety) were determined at the neighbourhood level. A discrete choice-modelling framework (multinomial probit model) was used to model the associations between neighbourhood characteristics and sports participation and location., Results: Higher proportions of green space, blue space, and the number of sports facilities were positively associated with sports participation in public space, at sports clubs, and at other sports facilities. Higher degrees of urbanization were negatively associated with sports participation at public spaces, sports clubs, and other sports facilities., Conclusions: Those with more green space, blue space or sports facilities in their residential neighbourhood were more likely to participate in sports, but these factors did not affect their preference for a certain sports location. Longitudinal study designs are necessary to assess causality: do active people choose to live in sports-facilitating neighbourhoods, or do neighbourhood characteristics affect sports participation?

Aims: The aim of this research was to compare the levels of perceived health literacy among adolescents who do or do not participate in sports club activities. Organized sport club activities reach a high proportion of adolescents, and have the potential to contribute to the development of their health literacy., Methods: The cross-sectional data on health literacy among school children in Finland (aged 13 and 15, n=3852) were measured, as a part of the Health Behaviour in School-Aged Children (HBSC) study, using the Health Literacy for School-aged Children (HLSAC) instrument. Sports club participation and its association with health literacy were examined in relation to age, gender, family affluence, school achievement, and physical activity. The statistical analyses included cross-tabulation and the multilevel mixed-effects logistic regression analyses., Results: Perceived health literacy was higher among adolescents who participated in sports club activities. This conclusion was valid for boys and girls, for both age groups, among those who were physically active 6-7 days a week, had at least moderate school achievement, and those who belonged to the middle or high affluence families. From the health literacy perspective, participation in sports club activities was especially beneficial for those having low or moderate school achievement level., Conclusions: The sports club setting may work towards equalizing health literacy differences related to school achievement. However, the clubs should ensure that access is available to as many adolescents as possible; by this means they may spread beneficial influences, supporting the development of health literacy among broader population groups.

Background: The sports club is seen as a new relevant setting to promote health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) among inactive population groups. Little is known about the effectiveness of strategies and activities implemented in the sports club setting on increasing HEPA levels. This study investigated the effects of Start2Bike, a six-week training program for inactive adults and adult novice cyclers, on HEPA levels of participants in the Netherlands., Methods: To measure physical activity, the Short QUestionnaire to ASsess Health-enhancing physical activity was used (SQUASH). Start2Bike participants were measured at baseline, six weeks and six months. A matched control group was measured at baseline and six months. The main outcome measure was whether participants met the Dutch Norm for Health-enhancing Physical Activity (DNHPA: 30 min of moderate-intensity activity on five days a week); Fit-norm (20 min of vigorous-intensity activity on three days a week); and Combi-norm (meeting the DNHPA and/or Fit-norm). Other outcome measures included: total minutes of physical activity per week; and minutes of physical activity per week per domain and intensity category. Statistical analyses consisted of McNemar tests and paired t-tests (within-group changes); and multiple logistic and linear regression analyses (between-group changes)., Results: In the Start2Bike group, compliance with Dutch physical activity norms increased significantly, both after six weeks and six months. Control group members did not alter their physical activity behavior. Between-group analyses showed that participants in the Start2Bike group were more likely to meet the Fit-norm at the six-month measurement compared to the control group (odds ratio = 2.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.1-5.8, p = 0.03). This was due to the Start2Bike participants spending on average 193 min/week more in vigorous-intensity activities (b = 193; 95% CI = 94-293, p < 0.001) and 130 min/week more in sports activities (b = 130; 95% CI = 82-178, p < 0.001) than control group members., Conclusions: Start2Bike positively influences HEPA levels of participants by increasing participation in sport. A relatively short sporting program, offered by a sports club, can be used to encourage less active people to engage in and continue sport at HEPA levels. Overall, sport can contribute to health through increased HEPA and the sports club can serve as a setting to stimulate this.

This paper seeks to review the current international health-promoting sports club (HPSC) research, drawing together findings based on case studies from various countries to illustrate the status of HPSCs. In addition, future challenges for HPSC research and implementation are considered. The review includes six case studies from five countries. In summary, there are two major research themes in this area, namely 'research into HPSC activity' and 'research into HPSC networks'. The first theme investigates the extent to which sports clubs and/or national sports organisations invest in health promotion (HP) - both in policy and practice. The latter theme is driven by an intention to widen the scope of HPSCs to reach novel internal actors, like parents, siblings, etc., and/or external non-sporting bodies, like communities, schools, etc. The future challenges for HPSC research require a better understanding of the motives, barriers and capacities of sports clubs and coaches. Sports organisations, clubs and coaches generally support the intent of the HPSC concept, but even with the best evidence- or theory-based HP programmes/guidelines/standards, nothing will happen in practice if the nature and capacities of sports clubs are not better acknowledged. Therefore, a call for embracing implementation science is finally made to enhance implementation., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Unlabelled: This paper explores the efficacy and value of sports clubs as a setting for health promotion. Sports clubs for children and adolescents are the primary focus of the paper, and the aims are two-fold., Aims: Firstly, the paper aims to review the basis for and elements of the health promoting sports club (HPSC) concept. Secondly, the aim is to overview the international evolution of the HPSC concept and its usefulness in the research. The settings-based health promotion approach forms the basis for the HPSC concept and it is introduced first. Thereafter, both obligating and prospecting factors, to justify the importance for sports clubs to address health promotion, are expressed. Major prospecting factors relate to the facts that sports club activities reach a lot of children and adolescents, and that its educational nature is informal due to voluntary participation. The paper also presents multilevel structure of sports clubs, as well as the determinants affecting the settings-based work. The research concerning health promotion in sports-related settings is evolving worldwide, and Nordic countries are in the front line of this new-wave of settings-based health promotion. Indeed, it has been claimed that, for the settings approach to assimilate to current societal challenges, there is a need to widen the reach of the approach to non-traditional, non-institutional settings, like sports clubs., (© 2014 the Nordic Societies of Public Health.)