Development and Evaluation of a Physical Activity Intervention Informed by Participatory Research- A Feasibility Study

Abstract

Background: Despite numerous interventions aiming to improve physical activity in socially disadvantaged populations, physical inactivity remains to be a rising challenge to public health globally, as well as, in Sweden. In an effort to address this challenge, a community-based participatory intervention was developed through active community engagement and implemented in a socially disadvantaged neighborhood in Sweden. The current study aims to present the development and initial evaluation of a participatory research driven physical activity intervention. Methods : Fifteen participants (11 females and 4 males) aged 17-59 years volunteered to participate in the physical activity intervention program. The intervention program was evaluated using a longitudinal mixed methods design measuring health impact changes over time through focus group discussions and quality of life surveys. Further additional biomedical health parameters such as levels of glycosylated hemoglobin, blood pressure, levels of oxygen saturation and body mass index were monitored before and after the intervention. Focus group data were analyzed using content analysis with an inductive approach. The pre-and post-test scores from the survey-based quality of life domains, as well as the health parameters were compared using non-parametric and parametric statistics. Results : Four themes emerged from the analysis of the focusgroup discussions including sense of fellowship, striving for inclusion and equity, changing the learner perspective and health beyond illness. The scores for the domains Physical Health, Psychological Health, Social Relationships and Health Satisfaction where significantly higher after participation in the physical activity intervention program compared to the pre-test scores ( p <.05)s. There were however, no significant changes in the scores for the environmental domain and overall quality of life after intervention compared to that prior to intervention start. Overall, the biomedical health parameters remained stable within the normal ranges during intervention. Conclusion : The focusgroup discussions and results from the surveys and biomedical measures reveal important findings to understand and further develop the intervention program to promote health equity among citizens in disadvantaged areas. Evaluating the feasibility of such an intervention using multiple approaches contributes to effective implementation of it for larger communities in need.

Evaluation of a Participatory Research Informed Physical Activity Intervention Among Women from Disadvantaged Neighborhoods - A Pilot Study

“…[43]. The citizens living in this neighborhood are predominantly non-Swedish speaking migrants from the Middle east [42].…”

“…The physical activity intervention program being evaluated in the current study was part of a larger project and has been assessed for its feasibility in an earlier study by the authors [42] Future workshops [45] were held together with citizens of the neighborhood, other stake holders and the research team. The workshop gave the opportunity to citizens to express their own needs and help identify strategies to promote health, well-being and quality of life among fellow citizens in their neighborhood.…”

“…Three health promoters were involved in participant recruitment for this study. These health promoters initially reached out to about 40 individuals from the neighborhood who were not part of the development of this physical activity intervention [42], but had participated in the initial future workshops. Participants were contacted through face-to-face interactions, as well as, using yers.…”

“…One such physical activity intervention program was developed together with the citizens built on a community based participatory research program for strategic planning in a socially disadvantaged neighbourhood in Southern Sweden and tested for its feasibility by the research team [42].The intervention program included both training and physical activity, as well as, re ection, counselling and dialogue regarding healthy diet. The intervention program aimed at introducing gradual change in the lifestyles of the participants beginning with simple bodily movements to more advance exercises in the absence of complex gadgets, which were replaced by everyday objects.…”

“…Participation in the intervention program also made participants self-con dent and urged them further to share their knowledge with others in their network through becoming coaches themselves. Aside of this all participants were certi ed as health ambassadors who could spread the intervention to others in the neighborhood [42].…”