title: Embedding Physical Activity in the Heart of the NHS: The Need for a Whole-System Approach.
abstract: Solutions to the global challenge of physical inactivity have tended to focus on interventions at an individual level, when evidence shows that wider factors, including the social and physical environment, play a major part in influencing health-related behaviour. A multidisciplinary perspective is needed to rewrite the research agenda on physical activity if population-level public health benefits are to be demonstrated. This article explores the questions that this raises regarding the particular role that the UK National Health Service (NHS) plays in the system. The National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine in Sheffield is put forward as a case study to discuss some of the ways in which health systems can work in collaboration with other partners to develop environments and systems that promote active lives for patients and staff.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Hall, Collegiate Campus, Sheffield, S10 2BP, UK.|National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Helen
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Speake
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Hall, Collegiate Campus, Sheffield, S10 2BP, UK. r.j.copeland@shu.ac.uk.|National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Sheffield, UK. r.j.copeland@shu.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Robert J
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4147-5876
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sport and Exercise Science, Sheffield Hallam University, Collegiate Hall, Collegiate Campus, Sheffield, S10 2BP, UK.|Sheffield Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Hallamshire Hospital, Sheffield, UK.|National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Simon H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Till
authors.affiliation: Centre for Health and Social Care Research, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Jeff D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Breckon
authors.affiliation: Centre for Sports Engineering Research, Sheffield Hallam University, Sheffield, UK.|National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Steve
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haake
authors.affiliation: Sloan Medical Centre, Sheffield, UK.|National Centre for Sport and Exercise Medicine, Sheffield, UK.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Hart
mesh_terms: D004779:Environment Design; D015444:Exercise; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom