Effectiveness Studies in Health Promotion: A Review of the Methodological Quality of Studies Reporting Significant Effects on Physical Activity in Working Age Adults

Abstract

The methodology of intervention studies on physical activity (PA) promotion is of great importance regarding evidence development in complex interventions. The aim of this review was to provide an overview of the methodological quality of those studies which reported statistically significant effects of interventions promoting PA. PUBMED was searched for reviews on PA promotion to identify studies reporting effective interventions with participants of working age (16–67 years). Selected reviews were screened and data from primary studies with effective interventions were extracted to assess methodological quality. Forty-six reviews with 600 primary studies were identified, of which 33 met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-one studies were conducted as randomized controlled trials, 13 included an intervention control group, 25 measured PA by questionnaire, and 13 included objective measurements. Information on used statistics was often scarce, and long-term follow-up measurements were frequently missing. The overall methodological quality was moderate for randomized studies and low for non-randomized studies; information on methods and results was often lacking. To overcome these methodological issues, standardized guidelines for reporting study results should be considered, not only when publishing results but also when designing studies. This review provides a solid foundation for the development of practical advice for planning application-oriented studies in PA promotion.

The effects of long-term physical activity interventions in communities: Scoping review in the Nordic countries

“…One reason for the results being more favourable for device-assessed changes in PA than self-report methods could be due to devices being more sensitive to detecting small changes than, for example, questionnaires. Previous reviews on PA intervention studies have also noted the variability in assessment and operationalization of the main outcome as a significant limitation for the summation of the results and assessment of intervention effectiveness [49,50]. Following Ding et al [51], we also call for improved and more standardized measurement of PA across future studies.…”

Impact Model-Based Physical-Activity Promotion at the Workplace: Study Protocol for a Mixed-Methods Study in Germany (KomRueBer Study)

“…In particular, multicomponent approaches that combine environmental measures on the structural and process levels (e.g., the movement-friendly redesign of work processes, and the creation of infrastructures that promote physical activity), and behavioural measures (e.g., courses and exercise programmes) are considered to be promising [ 4 ]. Even though the workplace is regarded as a promising approach to promote physical activity among adults [ 4 , 18 ], studies on sustainable and effective interventions are still considered to be limited, and most reviews show inconclusive results [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. The methodological quality of studies is also often limited [ 21 , 22 ].…”

“…Even though the workplace is regarded as a promising approach to promote physical activity among adults [ 4 , 18 ], studies on sustainable and effective interventions are still considered to be limited, and most reviews show inconclusive results [ 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ]. The methodological quality of studies is also often limited [ 21 , 22 ].…”