Scaling Up a Community-Based Exercise Program for Women in Difficult Life Situations in Germany—The BIG Project as a Case-Study

Abstract

Scaling up community-based participatory research (CBPR) remains challenging. This case-study reports on how, and under which conditions, a CBPR project aiming at promoting exercise among socially disadvantaged women (BIG) scaled up at four project sites. As part of BIG, researchers support city administrations in implementing a participatory project to reach socially disadvantaged women for exercise. The case study was conducted in winter 2020 in southern Germany and is based on a co-creative process involving city administrators and researchers. Following Kohl and Cooley’s scaling up dimensions, scaling up BIG was investigated at the four sites using a mixed-method approach. Course registrations and offers were analysed, and qualitative interviews (n = 4) with administrative staff members were conducted and analysed using content analysis. The geographical coverage of exercise classes, the addressed groups, and the utilisation of participatory methods by city administrations are described. All four sites managed to scale-up project activities. Three of the four sites reported that further growth of the project was no longer possible due to limited resources. All sites attempted to reach a larger number of, and more diverse, women. One site managed to scale-up the use of participatory methods within the city administration. The following important facilitators for scaling up CBPR projects were reported: advertisements tailored to the needs of the addressed women, utilising participatory approaches, and equipping project coordinators with sufficient resources.