TY - JOUR
T1 - Promoting men's health through sports clubs
T2 - A systematic rapid realist review
AU - Timm, Anne
AU - van Hoye, Aurelie
AU - Sharp, Paul
AU - Helms Andersen, Tue
AU - Hansen, Louise
AU - Nautrup Østergaard, Jane
AU - Krustrup, Peter
AU - Cortsen, Kenneth
AU - Iversen, Peter Bindslev
AU - Rod, Morten Hulvej
AU - Demant Klinker, Charlotte
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - BackgroundHealth promotion (HP) interventions delivered through sports clubs have demonstrated promising outcomes among men, but less is known about which aspects of the interventions work, for whom, and under what circumstances. This rapid realist review aimed to understand the contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of HP interventions for men delivered through sports clubs. MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted in February 2023 for studies published after 2013 in MEDLINE, Embase, and SPORTDiscus databases. Included studies: (a) were delivered by or in collaboration with sports clubs, (b) targeted men aged 18+ years, and (c) reported 1 or more HP outcomes. A grey literature search was also performed. Studies were included in a realist synthesis based on richness and rigor. Hereafter, context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations were developed. ResultsWe identified and screened 3358 studies, finally including 59 studies describing 22 interventions. Most HP interventions were delivered in high income countries, included Caucasian men aged 35–65 years with overweight/obesity, and used professional sports clubs (mostly football) for recruitment and facilities. Quantitative HP outcomes were reported across 19 interventions. Of these 19 interventions, the majority reported on weight (n = 18), physical activity (n = 12), mental health (n = 10), and diet (n = 9). We identified 13 CMOs related to how HP interventions affected men's recruitment, engagement, and health behavior maintenance. ConclusionOur findings show that using sports clubs for HP interventions is effective for engaging men. Recruitment was facilitated by leveraging sports clubs’ identity, addressing masculinity-related barriers, improving accessibility, and building trust. Engagement was enhanced through shared identity experiences, safe spaces, inclusive competition, and self-efficacy. However, there's limited evidence on behavior maintenance post-intervention, though involving community stakeholders seemed vital. In general, considerations should be made to avoid perpetuating traditional masculine norms, which may exclude some men and reinforce unhealthy behaviors. These findings can guide intervention development, emphasizing the need to harness men's perspectives in the process.
AB - BackgroundHealth promotion (HP) interventions delivered through sports clubs have demonstrated promising outcomes among men, but less is known about which aspects of the interventions work, for whom, and under what circumstances. This rapid realist review aimed to understand the contexts, mechanisms, and outcomes of HP interventions for men delivered through sports clubs. MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted in February 2023 for studies published after 2013 in MEDLINE, Embase, and SPORTDiscus databases. Included studies: (a) were delivered by or in collaboration with sports clubs, (b) targeted men aged 18+ years, and (c) reported 1 or more HP outcomes. A grey literature search was also performed. Studies were included in a realist synthesis based on richness and rigor. Hereafter, context-mechanism-outcome (CMO) configurations were developed. ResultsWe identified and screened 3358 studies, finally including 59 studies describing 22 interventions. Most HP interventions were delivered in high income countries, included Caucasian men aged 35–65 years with overweight/obesity, and used professional sports clubs (mostly football) for recruitment and facilities. Quantitative HP outcomes were reported across 19 interventions. Of these 19 interventions, the majority reported on weight (n = 18), physical activity (n = 12), mental health (n = 10), and diet (n = 9). We identified 13 CMOs related to how HP interventions affected men's recruitment, engagement, and health behavior maintenance. ConclusionOur findings show that using sports clubs for HP interventions is effective for engaging men. Recruitment was facilitated by leveraging sports clubs’ identity, addressing masculinity-related barriers, improving accessibility, and building trust. Engagement was enhanced through shared identity experiences, safe spaces, inclusive competition, and self-efficacy. However, there's limited evidence on behavior maintenance post-intervention, though involving community stakeholders seemed vital. In general, considerations should be made to avoid perpetuating traditional masculine norms, which may exclude some men and reinforce unhealthy behaviors. These findings can guide intervention development, emphasizing the need to harness men's perspectives in the process.
KW - Community engagement
KW - Health promotion
KW - Masculinity
KW - Physical activity
KW - Sports clubs
U2 - 10.1016/j.jshs.2024.100969
DO - 10.1016/j.jshs.2024.100969
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 39209022
AN - SCOPUS:85214652433
SN - 2095-2546
VL - 14
JO - Journal of Sport and Health Science
JF - Journal of Sport and Health Science
M1 - 100969
ER -