Promoting Health-Enhancing Physical Activity: a State-of-the-art Review of Peer-Delivered Interventions

AbstractPurpose of ReviewIn this review, we critically examined recent evidence pertaining to the efficacy of peer-delivered physical activity interventions.Recent FindingsPeer-delivered interventions appear to represent an efficacious, although under-utilized, means of promoting health-enhancing physical activity, among diverse populations across the lifespan, and in different settings. Nevertheless, research has largely failed to identify the salient behaviors/strategies of peer leaders that can promote behavior change among target populations, as well as explanatory mechanisms (i.e., mediators) of intervention effects.SummaryBalanced against recent evidence for the efficacy of peer-delivered interventions to promote physical activity, work in this area appears impeded by an absence of peer-centric explanatory frameworks and theory that may optimize both intervention delivery and efficacy/effectiveness.
Source: Current Obesity Reports - Category: Eating Disorders & Weight Management Source Type: research