Conference Agenda

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to draw on a policy perspective to understand how systems thinking and specifically the Global Action Plan on Physical Activity (GAPPA) can be used in real world settings to tackle physical inactivity.

Project Description: The WHO identifies that 27% of adults are not physically active and 80% of young people do not meet the required levels of physical activity with non- participation worse among certain populations. In Wales, inactivity follows this pattern, with too few adults physically active and children also at risk of not meeting the national targets. Evidence show this to be an increasingly intractable public policy issue which is often referred to as a ‘wicked issue’ in which ‘hard to reach groups’ including women and girls; people with disabilities; those living in poverty and ethnic minority communities record even lower activity levels.

Methods: Research was undertaken in Wales over two phases between 2024 and 2025. It involved mixed methods research in a real-world setting. Findings are drawn from the quantitative and qualitative research and offer insights into understanding systems thinking from a policy perspective.

Conclusions and implications: Adopting a policy perspective to understand physical inactivity is seen as an opportunity. There is a need to navigate a complex policy landscape which examines both formal and informal analysis. There are synergies in adopting GAPPA as it helps shift the analysis away from a binary approach of either top-down or bottom-up policy analysis towards one which realises the connectedness of the system.