Optimizing lifestyles for men regarded as 'hard-to-reach' through top-flight football/soccer clubs

• Published in: Health education research 2013-06, Vol.28 (3), p.405-413
• Main Authors: Zwolinsky, Stephen, McKenna, Jim, Pringle, Andy, Daly-Smith, Andy, Robertson, Steven, White, Alan
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Diet; England; Exercise; Football; Health Behavior; Health Promotion - methods; Health technology assessment; Humans; Lifestyle; Male; Men; Middle Aged; Morbidity-Mortality; ORIGINAL ARTICLES; Patient Compliance; Physical activity; Risk Reduction Behavior; Soccer; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0268-1153; 1465-3648
• DOI: 10.1093/her/cys108

This study assessed the effect of a 12-week behavioural intervention delivered in and by English Premier League football/soccer clubs, and its influence on lifestyle behaviours, in men typically regarded as hard-to-reach. One hundred and thirty men aged 18 years or older engaging in the programme self-reported data on optimal lifestyle behaviours (OLBs) (physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol consumption) at preand post-intervention. Logistic regression models were used to predict the likelihood of OLBs post-intervention. Healthy behaviours were uncommon at baseline, yet at 12 weeks, 19% (n = 24) of men displayed positive change in one behaviour and 67% (n = 87) had changed ≥2. A combination of improving diet (odds ratio [OR] = 2.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.65-4.63) and being employed (OR = 4.90, CI = 1.46-16.5) significantly increased the likelihood of reporting ≥ 150 min of physical activity per week. Increased physical activity significantly increased the likelihood of self-reporting a healthy diet (OR = 2.32, CI = 1.36-3.95). This study shows that a 12-week behavioural intervention can reach and engage a proportion of at risk men. Further, among such men, the intervention helped to stabilize and improve several of the most important lifestyle behaviours that impact mortality and morbidity.