Promoting exercise on prescription: recruitment, motivation, barriers and adherence in a Danish community intervention study to reduce type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia and hypertension

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse recruitment, motivation, barriers and adherence to increasing physical activity in a community-based 1-year intervention. Research design and methods: This study included a baseline investigation of 1,156 participants (67% female, 33% male), a post-intervention investigation after 4 months and a follow-up assessment after 1 year. All patients included in the study were physically inactive, had a body mass index (BMI) of less than 35 and were mobile enough to participate in physical training. The inclusion criteria are at least one of the following diagnoses: type 2 diabetes, above-normal cholesterol level (dyslipidemia) or above-normal blood pressure (hypertension). Theory-based activities to promote physical activity and nutrition counselling were implemented, and self-report questionnaires investigated attitude, experiences and barriers towards physical activity and self-reported health. Results: The findings indicated an increase in physical activity and fitness level, weight loss and lower body mass index both immediately after the training period and after 1 year. The programme led to reduced tobacco use. The recruitment of the patients is not representative of the general population. More better educated and female patients participated in the programme. Weight loss was the main motivation for participation, while weight gain was the main reason for dropping out of the programme. Patients who lived with a partner accomplished 10% more than did patients who lived alone, and patients who reported a good or very good state of health at baseline were more successful in completing the programme than were patients who reported having a “bad” state of health. The reported psychological barriers include physical barriers, emotional barriers, motivational barriers and time-related barriers. Motivation was strengthened by the training group, and especially the overweight patients experienced coherence and meaning in the group training activities. Conclusions: A theory-driven community intervention can lead to an increase in physical activity. Training with a group is beneficial for motivation and adherence

Kvinder og idræt-myter og modmyter

Kvinder og idræt

Kvinder og idræt-myter og modmyter

Kvinder og idræt

Kommunal idrætspolitik. Hvorfor forskelle mellem kommunerne?

Artiklen beskriver kommunernes idrætspolitik og forklarer forskellene derpå mellem kommunerne. Derudover tager artiklen også sigte på at vurdere, hvilke konsekvenser kommunalreformen vil få for idrætspolitikken i kommunerne. Bjarne Ibsen: Sport politics at municipal level The aim of the article is to describe the policies and the politics for sport and physical activities at the municipal level in Denmark. Further it aims at explaining the differences between the municipalities and estimating the consequences of the municipal reform for the sport politics in the future. The first part of the article shows that there are considerable differences between the municipalities in Denmark regarding formal sport politics (principles for the sport politics adopted by the municipal council), municipal initiatives to promote physical activity among inactive children and adults, the number of sports facilities, the economic costs for sport and leisure and the administration of sport in the municipality. The second part of the article is an analysis of two hypotheses that aims at explaining the differences between the municipalities. The first hypothesis suggests that the differences are due to variations among the municipalities in the interest of and attitudes towards sport among the inhabitants and the politicians. In the second – competing – hypothesis the explanation is the specific conditions for the municipality; the number of inhabitants and the economic possibilities. A multiple regression analysis confirms the second hypothesis. In the light of these results we can expect that the reform of the municipalities – with bigger municipalities – will lead to more proactive sport politics, with an emphasis on the value of sport for welfare and integration, unlike a more traditional reactive politics with an emphasis on self-determination and cultural values

Forsøgs- og udviklingsprogrammer i dansk idrætspolitik

Danish sports policy is primarily aimed to support sports clubs and organizations economically and making sports facilities available to associations. Over the past three decades, however, this policy has been supplemented by state experimental and development programs. In the first wave of experimental programs in the 1980s the purpose of the programs was to stimulate experimental and innovative thinking, and the long term goal of a program was to change legislation and administration in accordance with experience of the program. Therefore, the programs were also thoroughly evaluated. Experimental and development programs were part of a decentralization ideal that can be described as communitarian. This first wave of experimental programs in the 1990s was gradually replaced by more targeted and government-controlled programs, which are more aimed at improving performance in specific areas and providing political posturing. This new type of development program is better characterized by liberal and economically oriented management ideals (New Public Management). A number of evaluations of these programs and projects show that they rarely live up to their own goals and expectations. At the same time, the evaluations are often insufficient to become wiser on the projects positive and negative experiences. At the end of the article the author suggests, that experimental and development programs to a greater extent are aimed to test – and investigate – alternative solutions to society’s diverse problems

Forsøgs- og udviklingsprogrammer i dansk idrætspolitik

Danish sports policy is primarily aimed to support sports clubs and organizations economically and making sports facilities available to associations. Over the past three decades, however, this policy has been supplemented by state experimental and development programs. In the first wave of experimental programs in the 1980s the purpose of the programs was to stimulate experimental and innovative thinking, and the long term goal of a program was to change legislation and administration in accordance with experience of the program. Therefore, the programs were also thoroughly evaluated. Experimental and development programs were part of a decentralization ideal that can be described as communitarian. This first wave of experimental programs in the 1990s was gradually replaced by more targeted and government-controlled programs, which are more aimed at improving performance in specific areas and providing political posturing. This new type of development program is better characterized by liberal and economically oriented management ideals (New Public Management). A number of evaluations of these programs and projects show that they rarely live up to their own goals and expectations. At the same time, the evaluations are often insufficient to become wiser on the projects positive and negative experiences. At the end of the article the author suggests, that experimental and development programs to a greater extent are aimed to test – and investigate – alternative solutions to society’s diverse problems

’Tilgængelighed’ til idræt for børn i udsatte boligområder

The accessibility to sport within socially deprived residential areasThe aim of the analysis is to highlight the significance of ‘accessibility’ to sport for children’s sports participation in deprived residential areas. A distinction is made between three dimensions of ‘accessibility’: Physical accessibility, organizational accessibility and psychological accessibility. The analysis is based on a comprehensive study of sport participation and sports facilities in six deprived neighborhoods. The study includes children’s responses to a questionnaire, observations and interviews. As regards the physical accessibility the analysis cannot identify a clear correlation between the number of facilities in or close to the residential area and the proportion of children who participate in sport. The study however shows that physical closeness to major facilities like swimming pool and multi-purpose indoor facilities have a significant impact on the participation in sport. The analysis of the organizational accessibility shows very clearly that participation in sport in an association depends on the existence of sport clubs near residential area. It is perhaps not surprising, but it’s probably much more important for the children of parents who do not have many resources and do not know associational life – and therefore not are able to help the children to go to sport in clubs outside the residential area. The psychological accessibility, ie. the experience of a sports facility as safe place, seems to depend on whether the place where the facility is located, is perceived as a safe place. Facilities at schools and sports clubs that kids feel great confidence in, are perceived as safer than facilities, which the children do not know well and primarily use for self-organized activities

’Tilgængelighed’ til idræt for børn i udsatte boligområder

The accessibility to sport within socially deprived residential areasThe aim of the analysis is to highlight the significance of ‘accessibility’ to sport for children’s sports participation in deprived residential areas. A distinction is made between three dimensions of ‘accessibility’: Physical accessibility, organizational accessibility and psychological accessibility. The analysis is based on a comprehensive study of sport participation and sports facilities in six deprived neighborhoods. The study includes children’s responses to a questionnaire, observations and interviews. As regards the physical accessibility the analysis cannot identify a clear correlation between the number of facilities in or close to the residential area and the proportion of children who participate in sport. The study however shows that physical closeness to major facilities like swimming pool and multi-purpose indoor facilities have a significant impact on the participation in sport. The analysis of the organizational accessibility shows very clearly that participation in sport in an association depends on the existence of sport clubs near residential area. It is perhaps not surprising, but it’s probably much more important for the children of parents who do not have many resources and do not know associational life – and therefore not are able to help the children to go to sport in clubs outside the residential area. The psychological accessibility, ie. the experience of a sports facility as safe place, seems to depend on whether the place where the facility is located, is perceived as a safe place. Facilities at schools and sports clubs that kids feel great confidence in, are perceived as safer than facilities, which the children do not know well and primarily use for self-organized activities