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Mejía Grueso J, Pratt M, Resendiz E, Salvo D, Niño Cruz GI, Ruiz Gómez NY, Leandro Gómez RA, Revuelta Sánchez I, Araya Vargas GA, Ochoa Avilés AM, Pérez Tasigchana RF, Jáuregui A, Hallal PC, Varela AR. Physical Activity Policies at National and Subnational Levels: A Study in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. J Phys Act Health 2024; 21:445-457. [PMID: 38340713 DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2023-0342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND National physical activity (PA) policy processes are only beginning to be studied in Latin America, and little attention has focused at the subnational level. This study examined national-subnational relations in the policy process (agenda setting, policy formulation, adoption, implementation, and evaluation) in selected Latin American countries. METHODS The Global Observatory for Physical Activity's (GoPA!) INTEGRATE-PA-Pol tool was applied in Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, and Mexico. Data were collected in matched pairs of the capital plus one noncapital city among national and subnational policymakers (n = 27), previously identified by the GoPA! Country Contacts. PA policy development and implementation were assessed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS Twenty-three (response rate = 85.2%) informants provided data, mainly from the health sector (52.2%), followed by the sport (26.1%), transport (13.0%), and education (8.7%) sectors. Most informants reported that their countries had a current PA policy embedded within noncommunicable diseases prevention plans (46.2%), other plans (46.2%), or obesity prevention/management/control plans (7.7%). Respondents at the subnational level rated PA promotion as central (64.3%), while the national-level role was important but not central (75.0%). National and subnational policymakers indicated low-to-little involvement in the other level's PA policy processes across the 5 policy stages. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated that collecting national and subnational PA policy data across countries with the active collaboration of the GoPA! network was feasible. We also successfully identified governmental interactions throughout the PA policy process, suggesting suboptimal engagement between national and subnational levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Pratt
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Eugen Resendiz
- Prevention Research Center, Brown School, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Deborah Salvo
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Gloria Isabel Niño Cruz
- School of Medicine, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
- School of Physiotherapy, Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia
| | | | | | - Inés Revuelta Sánchez
- School of Human Movement Sciences and Quality of Life, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
| | - Gerardo Alonso Araya Vargas
- School of Human Movement Sciences and Quality of Life, Universidad Nacional, Heredia, Costa Rica
- School of Physical Education and Sports, Universidad de Costa Rica, San Jose, Costa Rica
| | | | | | - Alejandra Jáuregui
- Department of Physical Activity and Healthy Lifestyles, Center for Nutrition and Health Research, National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, Cuernavaca, Mexico
| | - Pedro C Hallal
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana, IL, USA
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Ramírez Varela A, Serrano N, Mejía Grueso J, Nguyen A, Salvo D, Brownson RC, Bauman A, Reis R, Hallal P, Pratt M. Shaping Policy and Practice: Analyzing the Reach of Highly Cited and High Altmetrics Publications for Broader Impact on Physical Activity. J Phys Act Health 2023; 20:1092-1101. [PMID: 37793653 DOI: 10.1123/jpah.2023-0185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A significant gap remains between the availability of physical activity (PA) evidence-based interventions and their application in real-world settings in policy and practice areas. This study aims to describe highly cited and high altmetrics publications in PA research and explore their impact on PA policy and practice. METHODS Mixed-methods sequential explanatory study including the identification and description of the top highly cited and high altmetrics PA publications from the last 10 years (including study design, population, type of PA study, number of citations, and altmetrics score), and interviews with key informants regarding research dissemination and implications on PA policy and practice. RESULTS When considering publication type, the most frequent highly cited publications were health consequences (40%, altmetrics = 42%), measurement/trends (23%, altmetrics = 10%), and correlates/determinants (21%, altmetrics = 26%) studies. They were predominantly cross-sectional (50%, altmetrics = 28%), systematic reviews (38%, altmetrics = 18%), and longitudinal studies (8%, altmetrics = 37%). All authors who participated in the interviews agreed that the most important factors in disseminating findings and influencing PA policy and practice were the published peer-reviewed manuscript itself, the reputation of the journal, the communication strategy, and the use of online platforms. CONCLUSIONS To have a real-world influence on PA policy and practice, it is not enough to publish the results in scientific journals and participate in media outreach. To successfully involve policymakers and communities in appropriating the evidence and evaluating the extent to which these findings affect policy and practice outcomes, it is critical to lead co-creation, co-dissemination, advocacy, and capacity building efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Natalicio Serrano
- School of Public Health, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | - Anita Nguyen
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Deborah Salvo
- Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Ross C Brownson
- Prevention Research Center, Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Surgery, Division of Public Health Sciences, and Alvin J. Siteman Cancer Center, Washington University School of Medicine, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Adrian Bauman
- School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, Australia
| | - Rodrigo Reis
- People, Health and Place Research Unit, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | - Pedro Hallal
- Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA
| | - Michael Pratt
- Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
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