Conference Agenda
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Daily Overview |
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WR1_2_2: Abstract presentations: Whole-School Approaches to Physical Activity and Health Location: White room 1 Session Chair: Josef Mitáš | |
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12:05pm - 12:15pm
Key factors for promoting physical activity within a whole-school approach: Results from participatory system mapping of secondary schools in Scotland. 1: Institute for Education, Community, and Society, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 2: School of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow; 3: Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh; 4: Institute for Education, Teaching and Leadership, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh; 5: Department of Psychology and Social Sciences, Physical Activity for Health Group, University of Strathclyde; 6: Public Health and Sport Sciences, University of Exeter, UK; 7: Austrian National Public Health Institute, Vienna, Austria Introduction: An understanding of the whole-school system is needed to develop successful approaches to increase physical activity (PA) levels in young people. We aimed to understand the factors and interconnected relationships influencing PA behaviours to create a comprehensive map of the whole-school PA system in Scotland and identify factors that, when intervened upon, may have a substantive impact across the system, leading to increased PA levels. Methods: We conducted five participatory workshops with secondary school pupils, aged 12-17 years (n=32) and gathered perspectives from secondary school teachers (n=9) and wider stakeholders (n=7) via questionnaires and workshops. We elicited and prioritised factors influencing PA behaviours before, during, and after school, and explored their interconnectedness. The research team refined the map using expert knowledge, and undertook quality assurance and robustness checks. Results: The resulting map highlights six subsystems: curricular PA, non-curricular PA, travel, school structure, policy context, and cross-system factors. A range of interconnected factors were identified (n=91) including outdoor facilities/green space, and teaching approach in class. Six reinforcing and balancing feedback loops were identified that shaped PA patterns and revealed 26 key leverage factors (e.g., walking to school), highlighting areas where schools should target for maximum impact. Conclusions: This is the first map visualising the whole-school PA system in secondary schools in Scotland. Schools and practitioners can use the leverage points identified to generate an action plan for workable system interventions for their unique context. This will be of benefit to practitioners, policymakers, and researchers, and ultimately impact pupils across Scotland. | |
