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Conference Agenda

Overview and details of the sessions of this conference. Please select a date or location to show only sessions at that day or location. Please select a single session for detailed view (with abstracts and downloads if available).

Daily Overview

Session

GR1_3_2: Abstract presentation: Promoting Physical Activity in Children and Adolescents: From Evidence to Action
Location: Glass room 1
Session Chair: Jan Seghers

Presentation 1

11:25am - 11:35am

Acceptability of a Multicomponent School-Based Health Promotion Intervention: A Qualitative Study of Students' Perspectives

Linn Andersson Konke^1,3, Lisette Farias⁵, Gisela Nyberg^2,4, Susanne Andermo^1,2

1: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Nursing, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden; 2: The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences (GIH), Department of Health Sciences, Division of Public Health, 114 86 Stockholm, Sweden; 3: University of Gävle, Faculty of Health and Occupational Studies, Department of Occupational Health Sciences, Psychology and Sport Science; 4: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Global Public Health, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; 5: Karolinska Institutet, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Division of Occupational Therapy, 141 83 Huddinge, Sweden

Background: Understanding how students perceive school-based physical activity (PA) interventions is critical for sustainable implementation. This study examined the acceptability of a multicomponent school-based health promotion intervention from the students' perspectives.

Methods: This qualitative study is part of a cluster-randomised controlled trial. The intervention added three weekly hours to the school day: (a) structured PA, (b) homework support sessions with activity breaks, and (c) walks with audiobooks. Data were collected through 23 focus group discussions with a total of 142 students (72 boys, 70 girls) in grade 8 (aged 13–14) across three school years (2021/2022–2024/2025) and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis.

Results: Four themes captured students' experiences: Enjoyment and meaning are activity-dependent, with playful, choice-based PA formats experienced as engaging, while the purpose of walking was less evident to some of the students; Social connection shapes engagement, as peer interaction enriched PA and walks but distracted from homework support; Autonomy over participation matters, with students valuing non-graded, voluntary formats over mandatory structures; and Context shapes the experience, where scheduling and environmental conditions influenced acceptability. Overall, PA was experienced most positively, homework support was valued when academically relevant, and walks with audiobook generated mixed responses.

Conclusions: Acceptability varied across components and was shaped by autonomy, social context, teacher engagement and structural fit. These findings offer guidance for practitioners and policymakers designing and scaling health-promoting interventions in school settings and informs the conditions under which multicomponent programs can be feasibly implemented.