‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programme
Abstract Background Physical inactivity is a leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity worldwide. Primary care settings provide an opportunity for effective lifestyle interventions, including physical activity (PA) promotion. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a rural community-based...
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2025-04-01
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22447-3 |
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| author | Callum Leese Blair H. Smith Rosina Cross Emma J. Cockcroft Cassie Higgins |
| author_facet | Callum Leese Blair H. Smith Rosina Cross Emma J. Cockcroft Cassie Higgins |
| author_sort | Callum Leese |
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| description | Abstract Background Physical inactivity is a leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity worldwide. Primary care settings provide an opportunity for effective lifestyle interventions, including physical activity (PA) promotion. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a rural community-based multi-component, 12-week exercise, nutrition, education and peer-support programme on participants health and wellbeing. Methods This retrospective service evaluation included patients referred to the programme between January 2020 and December 2022 from primary care settings. Quantitative data (including body composition measures, mental wellbeing and patient activation) were collected at the entry and exit of the 12-week program. Participants also self-reported healthcare attendance in the 3 months prior to the baseline and post-intervention data-collection. Results Of the 424 people who participated in the programme, 84.7% (n = 359) indicated that they had achieved their goals. Significant improvements in BMI, weight, blood pressure, wellbeing, patient activation, muscle mass, body-fat mass and reduced healthcare attendance over a 12-week intervention were identified by repeated measure ANOVA. Post-hoc tests with a Bonferroni correction found that younger participants were significantly more likely to decrease their BMI and increase their mental wellbeing (as measured by WEMWBS) over the course of the programme. Higher attendance at the programme was also associated with greater reductions in BMI and greater improvements in patient activation. Discussion The findings support the effectiveness of multicomponent community-based exercise, nutrition, education and peer support interventions in improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare utilisation. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term health outcomes of the education-exercise referral programme, across settings, and its potential to contribute to a sustainable healthcare system. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1471-2458 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
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| series | BMC Public Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-0c363ad5ca544f2ebda7530e9234600d2025-08-20T02:12:07ZengBMCBMC Public Health1471-24582025-04-0125111210.1186/s12889-025-22447-3‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programmeCallum Leese0Blair H. Smith1Rosina Cross2Emma J. Cockcroft3Cassie Higgins4Department of Population Health and Genomics, University of Dundee, Ninewells HospitalDepartment of Population Health and Genomics, University of Dundee, Ninewells HospitalDepartment of Health and Community Sciences, University of Exeter Medical SchoolDepartment of Health and Community Sciences, University of Exeter Medical SchoolDepartment of Population Health and Genomics, University of Dundee, Ninewells HospitalAbstract Background Physical inactivity is a leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity worldwide. Primary care settings provide an opportunity for effective lifestyle interventions, including physical activity (PA) promotion. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a rural community-based multi-component, 12-week exercise, nutrition, education and peer-support programme on participants health and wellbeing. Methods This retrospective service evaluation included patients referred to the programme between January 2020 and December 2022 from primary care settings. Quantitative data (including body composition measures, mental wellbeing and patient activation) were collected at the entry and exit of the 12-week program. Participants also self-reported healthcare attendance in the 3 months prior to the baseline and post-intervention data-collection. Results Of the 424 people who participated in the programme, 84.7% (n = 359) indicated that they had achieved their goals. Significant improvements in BMI, weight, blood pressure, wellbeing, patient activation, muscle mass, body-fat mass and reduced healthcare attendance over a 12-week intervention were identified by repeated measure ANOVA. Post-hoc tests with a Bonferroni correction found that younger participants were significantly more likely to decrease their BMI and increase their mental wellbeing (as measured by WEMWBS) over the course of the programme. Higher attendance at the programme was also associated with greater reductions in BMI and greater improvements in patient activation. Discussion The findings support the effectiveness of multicomponent community-based exercise, nutrition, education and peer support interventions in improving health outcomes and reducing healthcare utilisation. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term health outcomes of the education-exercise referral programme, across settings, and its potential to contribute to a sustainable healthcare system.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22447-3Disease preventionExercisePhysical activityPrimary careHealth educationHealth promotion |
| spellingShingle | Callum Leese Blair H. Smith Rosina Cross Emma J. Cockcroft Cassie Higgins ‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programme BMC Public Health Disease prevention Exercise Physical activity Primary care Health education Health promotion |
| title | ‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programme |
| title_full | ‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programme |
| title_fullStr | ‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programme |
| title_full_unstemmed | ‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programme |
| title_short | ‘Forging healthy communities’: a service evaluation of a 12-week community-based exercise, nutrition, behaviour change and peer-support programme |
| title_sort | forging healthy communities a service evaluation of a 12 week community based exercise nutrition behaviour change and peer support programme |
| topic | Disease prevention Exercise Physical activity Primary care Health education Health promotion |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22447-3 |
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