https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6118-7337
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ABSTRACT
Background
Physical inactivity among the general population is of great concern in public health.
Objective
This narrative review aims to identify promising physical activity (PA) public policies based on the best available evidence from the literature.
Methods
The study is a narrative synthesis of ‘reviews of reviews’ of public policies designed to increase physical activity among either (a) youths or (b) the community at large. We searched the literature for reviews of reviews of public policies of any country relevant to physical activity, physical inactivity, or sedentary behaviour published since 1 January 2000, in four databases.
Results
Based on 12 reviews of reviews published between 2011 and 2022, we identified seven potentially effective PA public policies. Six of the seven were youth-based public policies that would be implemented in schools. The seventh was a policy aimed at establishing and promoting walking groups.
Conclusions
Policymakers seeking to increase PA should consider focusing on school-based PA policies and community-based walking groups, as this is where the evidence base is greatest. To implement these policies, pilot studies to assess the efficacy of such programmes in local communities should first be conducted due to methodological limitations in the underlying literature and questions of generalisability and reproducibility.
Responsible Editor Jennifer Stewart Williams
Responsible Editor Jennifer Stewart Williams
Acknowledgments
The paper was produced by the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, in collaboration with technical support from the World Bank. The authors are grateful for the overall support provided by Rekha Menon, World Bank Practice Manager, Health Nutrition and Population, Middle East and North Africa region, and Issam Abousleiman, World Bank Country Director for GCC countries. The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this work are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, or the World Bank, their Boards of Directors, or the governments they represent.
Authors’ contributions
AFA and EF conceptualised and designed the study, contributed to the collection of data, and contributed to the interpretation of data. JDM and EF carried out the initial analyses, drafted the initial manuscript and revised the initial manuscript. RAA, SR and RFA contributed to the analysis and interpretation of data and provided feedback on drafts of the manuscript. HA-H and KRE contributed to the design of the study and critically reviewed the manuscript for important intellectual content. CHH and SAA contributed to the design of the study, supervised data collection, and oversaw the writing of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
Ethics and consent
Ethics approval and consent to participate were not required for this study as it was a review of the published peer-reviewed literature, with no human participation or collection or use of any personal data. Consent for publication was not required for this study as it was a review of the published peer-reviewed literature, with no human participation or collection or use of any personal data.
Paper context
Our narrative review aims to identify promising physical activity public policies based on the best available evidence from the literature. Our findings suggest that policymakers should consider school-based physical activity programmes and community-based walking groups to increase physical activity levels. However, before making a significant investment in public policies, we recommend that governments conduct pilot studies to assess the efficacy of such programmes due to methodological limitations in the underlying literature.