Health promoting sports federations: theoretical foundations and guidelines
Background: Researchers and policy-makers have highlighted that the potential for organized sports to promote health has been underexploited. Sports clubs have limited capacity to promote health due to their voluntary nature and have called for support from their national sports federations. The present article provides guidelines, based on the theoretical principles of health promoting sports clubs and an analysis of practical tools and proven strategies, to support national sports federations to invest in health promotion (HP).
Methods: A qualitative iterative study was undertaken, based on five 2-h meetings of a group of 15 international researchers in HP in sports clubs. Notes and minutes from meetings, as well as shared outputs were analyzed based on the health promoting sports club framework.
Results: Guidelines developed for national sports federations to promote health includes a definition of a health promoting sports federation (HPSF), a description of how the settings-based approach to HP adapts to national sports federations, as well as practical applications of health promoting sports club’s intervention strategies. The analysis of existing tools also demonstrated that most tools are centered on a single dimension of health (social, mental, physical, spiritual or community), and often on a specific health topic. Furthermore, they do not cover HP as a continuous long-lasting process, but are generally short-term programs. The HPSF clarifies theoretical concepts, their practical implementation via case studies and outlines intervention components and tools useful for sports federations in their implementation of HP.
Conclusion: The guidelines developed in this study are intended to facilitate national sports federations to acknowledge/understand, reinforce/underpin and foster current and further investment in HP.
Funding
Co-construction of the Health Promoting Sports Clubs-Policy Audit Tool
European Commission
Find out more...History
Publication
Frontiers in Public Health, 2023, 11,Publisher
Frontiers MediaOther Funding information
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 101028401. This work was funded by a grant from the World Health Organization in partnership with Santé publique France, Université de Lorraine and Université Côte d’AzurRights
First publication by Frontiers MediaAlso affiliated with
- Health Research Institute (HRI)
Sustainable development goals
- (3) Good Health and Well-being
External identifier
Department or School
- Physical Education and Sports Science