title: Optimizing lifestyles for men regarded as 'hard-to-reach' through top-flight football/soccer clubs.
abstract: This study assessed the effect of a 12-week behavioural intervention delivered in and by English Premier League football/soccer clubs, and its influence on lifestyle behaviours, in men typically regarded as hard-to-reach. One hundred and thirty men aged 18 years or older engaging in the programme self-reported data on optimal lifestyle behaviours (OLBs) (physical activity, diet, smoking and alcohol consumption) at pre- and post-intervention. Logistic regression models were used to predict the likelihood of OLBs post-intervention. Healthy behaviours were uncommon at baseline, yet at 12 weeks, 19% (n = 24) of men displayed positive change in one behaviour and 67% (n = 87) had changed ≥2. A combination of improving diet (odds ratio [OR] = 2.76; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.65-4.63) and being employed (OR = 4.90, CI = 1.46-16.5) significantly increased the likelihood of reporting ≥150 min of physical activity per week. Increased physical activity significantly increased the likelihood of self-reporting a healthy diet (OR = 2.32, CI = 1.36-3.95). This study shows that a 12-week behavioural intervention can reach and engage a proportion of at risk men. Further, among such men, the intervention helped to stabilize and improve several of the most important lifestyle behaviours that impact mortality and morbidity.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Men's Health, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds LS2 8JA, UK and Centre for Active Lifestyles, Leeds Metropolitan University, Leeds LS6 3QS, UK. s.zwolinsky@leedsmet.ac.uk
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zwolinsky
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McKenna
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pringle
authors.forename: Andy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Daly-Smith
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Robertson
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: White
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet; D004739:England; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D012916:Soccer; D055815:Young Adult