The theory of expanded, extended, and enhanced opportunities for youth physical activity promotion

International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity

Debate

R. Glenn Weaver¹  Michael W. Beets¹  Collin Webster²  Anthony Okely³  Dylan P. Cliff³  Tim Brusseau⁴  David Lubans⁵  Russ Carson⁶ 

[1] Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, 921 Assembly St, 1st Flr Suite, RM 131, 29208, Columbia, SC, USA;Department of Physical Education, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA;Early Start Research Institute, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia;Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia;Physical Activity Research Laboratory, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA;Priority Research Centre for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Faculty of Education and Arts, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, Australia;University of Northern Colorado, Greeley, CO, USA;

关键词: Adolescents;    Children;    Intervention;    Moderate-to-vigorous;    Obesity;    Programs;    Schools;    Sedentary;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12966-016-0442-2

 received in 2016-06-14, accepted in 2016-11-02,  发布年份 2016

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundPhysical activity interventions targeting children and adolescents (≤18 years) often focus on complex intra- and inter-personal behavioral constructs, social-ecological frameworks, or some combination of both. Recently published meta-analytical reviews and large-scale randomized controlled trials have demonstrated that these intervention approaches have largely produced minimal or no improvements in young people’s physical activity levels.DiscussionIn this paper, we propose that the main reason for previous studies’ limited effects is that fundamental mechanisms that lead to change in youth physical activity have often been overlooked or misunderstood. Evidence from observational and experimental studies is presented to support the development of a new theory positing that the primary mechanisms of change in many youth physical activity interventions are approaches that fall into one of the following three categories: (a) the expansion of opportunities for youth to be active by the inclusion of a new occasion to be active, (b) the extension of an existing physical activity opportunity by increasing the amount of time allocated for that opportunity, and/or (c) the enhancement of existing physical activity opportunities through strategies designed to increase physical activity above routine practice. Their application and considerations for intervention design and interpretation are presented.SummaryThe utility of these mechanisms, referred to as the Theory of Expanded, Extended, and Enhanced Opportunities (TEO), is demonstrated in their parsimony, logical appeal, support with empirical evidence, and the direct and immediate application to numerous settings and contexts. The TEO offers a new way to understand youth physical activity behaviors and provides a common taxonomy by which interventionists can identify appropriate targets for interventions across different settings and contexts. We believe the formalization of the TEO concepts will propel them to the forefront in the design of future intervention studies and through their use, lead to a greater impact on youth activity behaviors than what has been demonstrated in previous studies.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© The Author(s). 2016