The impact of tailored group activities within a physical activity intervention: A case study on Active Herts

Objective: Whilst it is becoming common for physical activity interventions to include motivational interviewing techniques and follow up conversations, few have explored the adjunct benefit of tailored group activities. This study evaluated the impact of a standard (12 months support, motivational interviewing techniques utilised), compared to enhanced intervention (standard intervention plus the addition of tailored activities), through a case study of the Sport England funded Active Herts intervention. Methods: 1,896 participants took part in the evaluation for Active Herts between 2016 and 2018, from four districts of Hertfordshire, England. A mixed-methods research design was used. Primary data was collected through questionnaires completed at an initial consultation, 3 months, 6m, and 12m. The questionnaire included the IPAQ-SF, Euroquol EQ-5D-DL and the Warwick Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS). 8 focus groups with participants in both interventions, took place over the course of the three years. A phenomenological approach to analysis was utilized with focus group transcripts, to understand individual’s experiences. Results: Across the programme, statistically significant improvements were observed from baseline, to each point of follow up (P = <0.001 across outcomes, except EQ-5D-5L). For example, reported time spent in moderate to vigorous activity rose from 66.6mins at baseline, to 251mins at 12m. However, no statistically significant difference was apparent when comparing standard and enhanced models of delivery (P values all > 0.1). Despite this, participants in the enhanced intervention reported feeling more confident to participate in physical activity, through the belief of there being a more ‘common ground’ amongst their peers in the activity sessions. Conclusions: The findings suggested that tailored group activities were well liked by participants but this did not appear to translate to higher levels of physical activity. Possible reasons and implications of this will be discussed.