Buurtsportcoaches verbinden zorg, sport en bewegen

Bekend is dat de verbinding tussen zorg, sport en bewegen niet zomaar tot stand komt, mede door de onderlinge verschillen in cultuur en werkwijze. Daarnaast geldt voor leefstijlinterventieprojecten dat de doorstroming naar het reguliere beweeg- en portaanbod stroef verloopt, omdat deelnemers liever in de vertrouwde omgeving van de zorg blijven bewegen. Met de inzet van buurtsportcoaches wordt beoogd de verbinding tussen zorg, sport en bewegen tot stand te brengen, resulterend in meer mensen die in hun woonbuurt gaan en blijven bewegen

The role of the care sport connector in the Netherlands

Introduction: To stimulate physical activity and guide primary care patients towards local sport facilities, Care Sport Connectors (CSC), to whom a broker role has been ascribed, were introduced in 2012 in the Netherlands. The aim of this study was to explore CSCs’ role in connecting the primary care sector and the PA sector. Method: Fifteen CSCs were selected to participate in this study and were followed in their work of connecting both sectors. Over the course of one year, three rounds of interviews were held with these CSCs on the topics of their role and the connection between the primary care and the PA sector. Both top-down and bottom-up codes were used to analyse the interviews. Results: CSCs fulfilled three roles: 1) broker, 2) referral, 3) organiser. The extent to which CSCs fulfilled these roles was influenced by the way municipalities implemented the CSC funding. CSCs set up two forms of collaboration structures: 1) project basis and 2) referral scheme. CSCs perceived the following barriers to connecting the primary care and the PA sector: lack of knowledge and time, primary care professionals’ own interests, and lack of suitable sport activities for the target group. Conclusion: The CSC role seems to hold the promise of improving collaboration between the primary care and the PA sector, especially, because the roles that CSCs perceive themselves as having seem to be directed at eliminating barriers in this connection. Future research is needed to study whether CSCs are capable of establishing a connection over time

The operational context of care sport connectors in the Netherlands

To stimulate physical activity (PA) and guide primary care patients towards local sport facilities, Care Sport Connectors (CSCs), to whom a broker role has been ascribed, were introduced in 2012 in the Netherlands. The aim of this study is to describe CSCs’ operational context. A theoretical framework was developed and used as the starting point for this study. Group interviews were held with policymakers in nine participating municipalities, and, when applicable, the CSC’s manager was also present. Prior to the interviews, a first outline of the operational context was mapped, based on the analysis of policy documents and a questionnaire completed by the policymakers. A deductive content analysis, based on the theoretical framework, was used to analyse the interviews. Differences were found in CSCs’ operational context in the different municipalities, especially the extent to which municipalities adopted an integral approach. An integral approach consists of an integral policy in combinationwith an imbedding of this policy in partnerships at management level. This integral approach is reflected in the activities of other municipal operations, for example the implementation of health and PA programs by different organisations. Given the CSC mandate, we think that this integral approachmay be supportive of the CSCs’ work, because it is reflected in other operations of the municipalities and thus creates conditions for the CSCs’ work. Further study is required to ascertain whether this integral approach is actually supporting CSCs in their work to connect the primary care and the PA sector