Development of a Local Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Policy Analysis Tool in France: CAPLA-Santé.

The promotion of health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) has become a key objective in public health policy. Therefore, based on the national HEPA Policy Audit Tool Version 2 (HEPA PAT v2) of the World Health Organization, a tool was designed to support local governments in assessing HEPA policies. This study aims to describe the adaptation and testing of the HEPA policy analysis tool (CAPLA-Santé) at the local level in France. The work was conducted in three stages: (1) an intersectoral group of experts was constituted, and the group adapted each item of the HEPA PAT v2 tool to the local level; (2) a testing phase with seven local governments helped to collect data and feedback on the tool; and (3) a final workshop was organized to adjust and finalize the tool. The final version of CAPLA-Santé contains 21 items divided into six major sections: overview of HEPA stakeholders in the local government area, policy documents, policy contents, funding and political engagement, studies and measures relating to physical activity in the local government area, and progress achieved and future challenges. CAPLA-Santé allows the collection and in-depth analysis of local level policies to assess the progress in promoting HEPA and intersectoral collaboration as well as identifying successful policy levers and remaining challenges.

[Physical exercise health promotion in the workplace: participative experimentation in a private company]. / Promotion de la santé par l'activité physique sur les lieux de travail : expérimentation participative dans une entreprise privée.

CONTEXT: The objective of this study was to identify collaborative processes involved in a physical activity health promotion project in companies, conducted through a participatory approach in a cross-sectoral partnership, and to estimate the preliminary effects in terms of employee health. METHODS: Action research was conducted in an industrial company comprising 240 employees over a 2-year period. This research was based on 4 criteria: description of the actors' network, the opportunities and constraints of the project, the implementation of physical activities, the participation of employees in the various activities, the impacts observed (after 3 months of activities) on physical parameters and quality of life. RESULTS: Six work groups selected two activities : muscle-development exercise and Taïchi. We evaluated muscle strengthening activity. The participation rate in the activity was 16%. A higher age, female gender and being a manager or employee rather than a worker were significantly associated with participation. A tendency towards increased physical and mental scores of SF12 was observed. We identified two major barriers: logistic and communicational. CONCLUSION: The participatory approach, based on a cross-sectoral partnership, is the determining element of the project's success in a context of local opportunities. Two factors were identified to perpetuate this dynamic and improve the system: rationalization of the structuring of the service and greater resources, particularly financial resources.

Modeling the Development of Local Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Policies from Empirical Data and Policy Science Theories.

Physical inactivity is considered a pandemic, requiring strong policy responses to address this major health issue. However, research on the development of Health-Enhancing Physical Activity policies (HEPA) remains scarce, particularly at the local level. There is a need to produce evidence to better understand the process to develop local HEPA policies. This study aims to model the development of HEPA policy promotion in French municipalities from empirical data and policy science theories. This research was undertaken in three steps: (1) assess the level of development of HEPA policies from 10 French municipalities using a local HEPA analysis tool, (2) provide a brief overview of core political science theories applied in health promotion, and (3) from these empirical and theoretical perspectives, model a conceptual framework to better understand the development of HEPA policy promotion in French municipalities. Based on empirical data and the Multiple Streams, policy cycles and Institutional Rational Choice theories, a conceptual framework of the development of municipal HEPA policy promotion was modeled. This conceptual framework is comprised of five stages describing the development of municipal HEPA policies. This paper contributes to a better understanding of the development of municipal HEPA policies.

Analysis of the Local Health-Enhancing Physical Activity Policies on the French Riviera.

Policy is a lever for initiating the structural and environmental changes that foster health-enhancing physical activity (HEPA) promotion. However, little is known about the evidence in support of local governments regarding their HEPA-promoting policies. The aim of this study was to collect comprehensive information on municipal HEPA policies on the French Riviera (Alpes-Maritimes and Var counties) to provide an overview of the development of these policies in this territory. Mid-sized cities from the two counties constituting the French Riviera were targeted (n = 17). In each city, a local tool for HEPA policy analysis, CAPLA-Santé, was used to gain information from key informants heading the departments of sports, health services, and social services. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and document analysis. Ten mid-sized cities volunteered to participate. Key informants from the sports (n = 10), health services (n = 5), and social services (n = 6) departments were interviewed. Written HEPA policy documents were formalized in six cities. These documents (n = 14) were mainly from the sports (n = 8) and health services (n = 4) sectors. The key informants reported that support from national policy, the commitment of elected officials, and large local stakeholder networks facilitated HEPA promotion, whereas the lack of intersectoral collaboration and limited resources were limitations. The results provide insight into the development of municipal HEPA policies, highlighting some of the barriers, facilitators, and perspectives. These findings could be valuable to scale up HEPA promotion at the local level.

Psychosocial factors as predictors of dropout in ultra-trailers.

OBJECTIVE: Although research on the physiological and psychological factors of endurance performance has been extensive, the factors related to dropping out of ultra-trail races have not been well documented. The aim of this study was to examine psychosocial factors as predictors of dropout in ultra-trail runners. METHODS: Two hundred and twenty-one volunteer athletes completed a survey that included measures of: (a) motivational variables (self-determined motivation, basic needs satisfaction, achievement goals), (b) theory of planned behavior constructs (attitudes, subjective norms, self-efficacy and intention to finish the race), and (c) coping strategies in sport. RESULTS: The results showed that finishers had higher scores for self-efficacy and intention to finish the race than withdrawers, whereas withdrawers had higher scores for avoidance coping. Multiple logistic regression showed that the number of started and finished ultra-trail races (OR, 0.44; 95% CI 0.22-0.88; p<0.02), self-efficacy (OR, 2.03; 95% CI 1.06-3.89; p<0.04), intention to finish the race (OR, 0.34; 95% CI 0.16-0.71; p<0.004), mastery-approach goals (OR, 0.56; 95% CI 0.31-1.00; p<0.05), and coping strategies of seeking social support (OR, 0.43; 95% CI 0.26-0.71; p<0.001) were associated with a lower risk of race dropout, whereas avoidance coping strategies (OR, 2.26; 95% CI 1.46-3.52; p<0.001) were associated with an increased dropout rate. CONCLUSION: Interventions promoting self-efficacy constructs and specific coping strategies might contribute to preventing dropout in ultra-trailers.