Striving for Global Consensus: A Systematic Review of Social Return on Investment Applied to Physical Activity and Sport.

Background: Physical activity and sport (PAS) have been related to health and social benefits, but their monetary value remains unclear. This systematic review on the social return on investment of PAS aimed to find what are the social outcomes measured in previous PAS literature and how are these measured and valued.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted on WoS, PubMed, and EconLit.

Financial Incentives for Physical Activity and Sports Participation in Young People.

Physical inactivity is a global health problem. Childhood is an opportune time to establish healthy physical activity behaviors, including the participation in organized physical activity, such as sports. We hypothesize that financial incentives can improve young people's participation in physical activity and sports.

Junior parkrun pilot in Australia: A real world evaluation.

Issue Addressed: Regular physical activity is important for children's health. Parkrun supports communities to deliver free, weekly, 5 km events in 22 countries around the world and is the largest physical activity model delivered at scale in the world. Junior parkrun aims to encourage children aged 4-14 years to be active outdoors through providing safe, cost-free and non-competitive weekly timed walk, run or jog over a 2-km distance.

Understanding volunteer motivations and concerns in coaching and officiating basketball: implications for sport policy.

Sport participation and volunteering can make important contributions to good health. Sporting organisations need volunteers to deliver their participation opportunities and for many years the sector has faced challenges to volunteer recruitment and retention, especially due to the increased bureaucratic and compliance demands in operating community sports clubs. As sporting organisations pivot to adapt to COVID-safe sport we can learn about their experiences to inform volunteer recruitment and retention policies and practices.

"It Goes Hand in Hand with Us Trying to Get More Kids to Play" Stakeholder Experiences in a Sport and Active Recreation Voucher Program.

Vouchers that reduce the cost of sport and active recreation participation have been shown to increase children's and adolescent's physical activity levels. Yet, the influence of government-led voucher programs on the capacity of sport and active recreation organisations is unclear. This qualitative study explored the experiences of stakeholders in the sport and recreation sector that were engaged in implementing the New South Wales (NSW) Government's Active Kids voucher program in Australia.

Sport4Me: A people focused approach to engaging Australians in sport.

The traditional model of community club-based sport is fine for those, particularly children and youth, who enjoy the competitive focus and have the skills and commitment to play. But societal preferences during leisure time have changed dramatically over recent decades. However, sport organisations have made limited progress in response to these changes in providing ways in which children and youth can participate outside the traditional competitive structures and environments.

Evaluation of a city-wide physical activity pathway for people affected by cancer: the Active Everyday service.

Purpose: The primary goal of this article is to present an evaluation of a UK-based city-wide physical activity pathway for patients with a cancer diagnosis, the Active Everyday service. Active Everyday was a co-produced physical activity service for people affected by cancer. The service was underpinned by a behaviour change care pathway model developed by Macmillan Cancer Support charity.

Advocating for Implementation of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity: Challenges and Support Requirements.

Background: There is limited understanding of the challenges experienced and supports required to aid effective advocacy of the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA). The purpose of this study was to assess the challenges experienced and supports needed to advocate for the GAPPA across countries of different income levels.

Methods: Stakeholders working in an area related to the promotion of physical activity were invited to complete an online survey.

Results from the Australian 2022 Report Card on physical activity for children and young people.

Background: Past Physical Activity Report Cards have indicated a minority of Australian children and young people are sufficiently active. The purpose of this paper is to summarise grades across 10 indicators of the 2022 Australian Physical Activity Report Card, to assess physical activity behaviours and supports.

Methods: A development team consisting of research experts synthesised and evaluated national and state level data to inform grades for each indicator.

Improving access to public physical activity events for disadvantaged communities in Australia.

Background: Physical activity has numerous health benefits, but participation is lower in disadvantaged communities. 'parkrun' overcomes one of the main barriers for disadvantaged communities, the cost of activities, by providing a free, regular community-based physical activity event for walkers, runners and volunteers. This study assesses equity of access (in terms of distance to the nearest parkrun) stratified by socioeconomic deprivation, and identifies the optimal location for 100 new events to increase equity of access.

"We Don't Have to Do Things the Way They've Been Done Before"; Mixed-Method Evaluation of a National Grant Program Tackling Physical Inactivity through Sport.

National strategies are needed to continue to promote the broader benefits of participating in sport and organised physical activity to reduce physical inactivity and related disease burden. This paper employs the RE-AIM framework to evaluate the impact of the federally funded $150 million Move it AUS program in engaging inactive people in sport and physical activity through the Participation (all ages) and Better Ageing (over 65 years) funding streams. A pragmatic, mixed-methods evaluation was conducted to understand the impact of the grant on both the participants, and the funded organisations.

Participation and dropout of Hockey New South Wales participants in 2017 and 2018: a longitudinal study.

Background: Sports have a focus on increasing participation, which contributes to increasing population levels of physical activity, social cohesion and longevity of the sport. The primary aim of this study was to examine reasons for drop-out of a popular team sport in Australia, Field Hockey and identify opportunities to increase participation.

Methods: This longitudinal study obtained routinely collected registered player data from Hockey New South Wales over two consecutive years, and survey data from registered players who dropped out.

An analysis of current obesity strategies for adolescents in NSW against best practice recommendations: Implications for researchers, policymakers and practitioners.

Issue Addressed: Obesity is a significant health challenge facing adolescents. There is a critical need for government action to support all adolescents to improve risk factors for obesity. This study critically appraised initiatives, guidelines and policies (termed "strategies") from local health districts (LHDs), speciality health networks and Primary Health Networks (PHNs) across New South Wales (NSW), relevant to the prevention and management of obesity amongst adolescents and compare these to best practice recommendations.

Fair play? Participation equity in organised sport and physical activity among children and adolescents in high income countries: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Physical activity and sport have numerous health benefits and participation is thought to be lower in disadvantaged children and adolescents. However, evidence for the disparity in physical activity is inconsistent, has not been reviewed recently, and for sport has never been synthesised. Our aim was to systematically review, and combine via meta-analyses, evidence of the socioeconomic disparities in physical activity and sport participation in children and adolescents in high income countries.

The Association between Fast Food Outlets and Overweight in Adolescents Is Confounded by Neighbourhood Deprivation: A Longitudinal Analysis of the Millennium Cohort Study.

The aim of our study is to utilise longitudinal data to explore if the association between the retail fast food environment and overweight in adolescents is confounded by neighbourhood deprivation. Data from the Millennium Cohort Study for England were obtained for waves 5 (ages 11/12; 2011/12; = 13,469) and 6 (ages 14/15; 2014/15; = 11,884). Our outcome variable was overweight/obesity defined using age and sex-specific International Obesity Task Force cut points.

Exploring the benefits of participation in community-based running and walking events: a cross-sectional survey of parkrun participants.

Background: Whilst the benefits of physical activity for health and wellbeing are recognised, population levels of activity remain low. Significant inequalities exist, with socioeconomically disadvantaged populations being less physically active and less likely to participate in community events. We investigated the perceived benefits from participation in a weekly running/walking event called parkrun by those living in the most socioeconomically deprived areas and doing the least physical activity.

"The balloon was just the kick start, I had to do the rest myself": Adolescents living with severe obesity experiences of an intra-gastric balloon alongside a lifestyle support programme.

Background: Few treatments exist for adolescents living with severe obesity. This qualitative study explored the experiences of severely obese adolescents and their families who participated in the BOB study.

Methods: Twelve adolescents (5 males;7 females; mean age 15 years; BMI > 3.

Sport Participation and Academic Performance in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Introduction: Physical activity can improve academic performance; however, much less is known about the specific association between sport participation and academic performance, and this evidence has not been synthesized. Our aim was to systematically review and combine via meta-analyses evidence of the association between sport participation and academic performance in children and adolescents.

Methods: We conducted searches of five electronic databases using sport and academic performance related terms.

Body mass Index of children and adolescent participants in a voucher program designed to incentivise participation in sport and physical activity: A cross-sectional study.

There has been limited population-level success in tackling overweight and obesity. The Active Kids program is a universal intervention that aims to increase participation in structured physical activity and sport among children and adolescents in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. This study examined the prevalence of overweight and obesity across subgroups and by social disadvantage in this large broadly representative sample.

Active Kids: evaluation protocol for a universal voucher program to increase children's participation in organised physical activity and sport.

Objective: Background: Regular participation in physical activity during childhood and adolescence is important for good health. There is strong evidence of the physical and psychosocial benefits associated with recreational physical activity in these age groups, specifically in the context of organised sport. Most children in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, do not meet the recommended guidelines for physical activity, with financial cost commonly cited as a barrier to the initiation and maintenance of sport.

Linking sports registration information and player feedback to enhance netball participation.

Background: Sports should endeavour to provide inclusive opportunities for all people to participate. More evidence is required to understand who joins sports clubs and what keeps participants engaged throughout their lifetime. Little is known about who plays netball or what drives participation and retention of players in netball.

Eight Investments That Work for Physical Activity.

Background: The International Society for Physical Activity and Health (ISPAH) is a leading global organization working to advance research, policy, and practice to promote physical activity. Given the expanding evidence base on interventions to promote physical activity, it was timely to review and update a major ISPAH advocacy document-Investments that Work for Physical Activity (2011).

Methods: Eight investment areas were agreed upon through consensus.

Evaluation of a voucher scheme to increase child physical activity in participants of a school physical activity trial in the Hunter region of Australia.

Background: Global population data suggest that physical activity levels in children remain unacceptably low. Improved participation in organised sport has been recommended by the WHO as one strategy to improve population levels of physical activity. In 2018, in the state of New South Wales, Australia, the government introduced the Active Kids scheme, to help families meet the cost of getting children into organized sport.

'One hundred dollars is a big help, but to continue, it's a challenge': A qualitative study exploring correlates and barriers to Active Kids voucher uptake in western Sydney.

Introduction: The Active Kids voucher is a universal, state-wide voucher program, provided by the New South Wales (NSW) Government, Office of Sport. All school-aged children in NSW are eligible to receive a voucher to reduce registration costs of structured physical activity programs. This study explores reasons behind lower uptake among children who are overweight or obese, from cultural and linguistically diverse families and those living in low socio-economic areas.