Exploring the provision and motives behind the adoption of health-promotion programmes in professional football clubs across four European countries

• Published in: PloS one 2021-11, Vol.16 (11), p.e0259458-e0259458
• Main Authors: Røynesdal, Øystein B, van Nassau, Femke, Chng, Nai Rui, Pereira, Hugo, Andersen, Eivind, Bunn, Christopher, Jelsma, Judith G M, Nijhuis-van der Sanden, Maria W G, Roberts, Glyn C, Sørensen, Marit, van de Glind, Irene, van Actherberg, Theo, Gray, Cindy M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Adults; Biology and Life Sciences; Cardiovascular disease; Clubs; College football; Community; Decision making; Diet, Healthy; Europe; Evaluation; Exercise; Female; Football; Funding; Health behavior; Health care; Health Promotion; Humans; Influence; Intervention; Interviews as Topic; Lifestyles; Male; Management; Medicine and Health Sciences; Middle Aged; Motivation; Occupational health; People and Places; Professional soccer; Program Evaluation; Public health; R&D; Research & development; Research and Analysis Methods; Soccer teams; Social responsibility; Social Sciences; Sports fans; Stakeholder Participation - psychology; Surveys and Questionnaires; Telephone; Training; Wellness programs; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259458

This study mapped existing health-promotion provisions targeting adults in professional football clubs across England, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal, and explored motives behind the clubs' adoption of the European Fans in Training (EuroFIT) programme. We surveyed top-tier football clubs in the four countries and interviewed representatives from football clubs and the clubs' charitable foundation who delivered EuroFIT. The findings showed large between-country differences, with football clubs in England reporting far greater healthy lifestyle provision than other countries. Relatively few health-promotion programmes targeted adults, particularly in the Netherlands, Portugal, and Norway. Club representatives reported that the motives for adopting the EuroFIT programme often involved adhering to both the social objectives of the football club or club's foundation and business-related objectives. They viewed the scientific evidence and evaluation underpinning EuroFIT as helpful in demonstrating the value and potential future impact of both the programme and the clubs' wider corporate social responsibility provision.