title: Study protocol of European Fans in Training (EuroFIT): a four-country randomised controlled trial of a lifestyle program for men delivered in elite football clubs.
abstract: Lifestyle interventions targeting physical activity, sedentary time and dietary behaviours have the potential to initiate and support behavioural change and result in public health gain. Although men have often been reluctant to engage in such lifestyle programs, many are at high risk of several chronic conditions. We have developed an evidence and theory-based, gender sensitised, health and lifestyle program (European Fans in Training (EuroFIT)), which is designed to attract men through the loyalty they feel to the football club they support. This paper describes the study protocol to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the EuroFIT program in supporting men to improve their level of physical activity and reduce sedentary behaviour over 12 months.
  
  
  
  The EuroFIT study is a pragmatic, two-arm, randomised controlled trial conducted in 15 football clubs in the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal and the UK (England). One-thousand men, aged 30 to 65 years, with a self-reported Body Mass Index (BMI) ≥27 kg/m(2) will be recruited and individually randomised. The primary outcomes are objectively-assessed changes in total physical activity (steps per day) and total sedentary time (minutes per day) at 12 months after baseline assessment. Secondary outcomes are weight, BMI, waist circumference, resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, cardio-metabolic blood biomarkers, food intake, self-reported physical activity and sedentary time, wellbeing, self-esteem, vitality and quality of life. Cost-effectiveness will be assessed and a process evaluation conducted. The EuroFIT program will be delivered over 12 weekly, 90-minute sessions that combine classroom discussion with graded physical activity in the setting of the football club. Classroom sessions provide participants with a toolbox of behaviour change techniques to initiate and sustain long-term lifestyle changes. The coaches will receive two days of training to enable them to create a positive social environment that supports men in engaging in sustained behaviour change.
  
  
  
  The EuroFIT trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the EuroFIT program delivered by football clubs to their male fans, and will offer insight into factors associated with success in making sustained changes to physical activity, sedentary behaviour, and secondary outcomes, such as diet.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  81935608 . Registered 16 June 2015.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, The Netherlands.
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authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3726-550X
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: van Nassau
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, The Netherlands. hp.vanderploeg@vumc.nl.
authors.forename: Hidde P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: van der Ploeg
authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching and Psychology, Oslo, Norway.
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authors.lastname: Abrahamsen
authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching and Psychology, Oslo, Norway.
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authors.affiliation: Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research, Level 7, Ninewells Medical School, University of Dundee, Dundee, UK.
authors.forename: Annie S
authors.initials: AS
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authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences and the EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
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authors.initials: JE
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authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RS, UK.
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authors.affiliation: School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RZ, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Pintail Ltd, 77 Springhill Ave, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland.
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authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.
authors.forename: Jason M R
authors.initials: JM
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authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RS, UK.
authors.forename: Cindy M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Gray
authors.affiliation: MRC/CSO Social and Public Health Sciences Unit, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
authors.forename: Kate
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authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, The Netherlands.
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authors.initials: JG
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authors.affiliation: University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, 93106, USA.
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authors.initials: JG
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authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching and Psychology, Oslo, Norway.
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authors.affiliation: PAL Technologies Ltd, PAL Technologies Ltd 50 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XP, Scotland, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RS, UK.
authors.forename: Lisa
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authors.affiliation: PAL Technologies Ltd, PAL Technologies Ltd 50 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XP, Scotland, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Robertson Centre for Biostatistics, Institute of Health and Wellbeing, University of Glasgow, Scotland, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, Edinburgh, EH8 8AQ, UK.
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authors.affiliation: PAL Technologies Ltd, PAL Technologies Ltd 50 Richmond Street, Glasgow, G1 1XP, Scotland, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Physical Activity for Health Research Centre, University of Edinburgh, Institute for Sport, Physical Education and Health Sciences, Edinburgh, EH8 8AQ, UK.
authors.forename: Nanette
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authors.affiliation: Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare (IQ healthcare), Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Ria
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nijhuis-van der Sanden
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authors.forename: Kylie
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authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Estrada da Costa, 1495-688, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal.
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authors.initials: HV
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authors.affiliation: European Healthy Stadia Network, 151 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2JH, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching and Psychology, Oslo, Norway.
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authors.initials: GC
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authors.affiliation: School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RZ, UK.
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authors.affiliation: School of Computing Science, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RZ, UK.
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authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching and Psychology, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Øystein
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authors.affiliation: Institute of Cardiovascular and Medical Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8TA, UK.
authors.forename: Naveed
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authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Human Performance (CIPER), Faculty of Human Kinetics, University of Lisbon, Estrada da Costa, 1495-688, Cruz Quebrada, Portugal.
authors.forename: Marlene N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, Department of Coaching and Psychology, Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Marit
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authors.affiliation: European Healthy Stadia Network, 151 Dale Street, Liverpool, L2 2JH, UK.
authors.forename: Pedro J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Health Services Research Unit, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB25 2ZD, UK.
authors.forename: Shaun
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Treweek
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health and Primary Care, Academic Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
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authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: van Achterberg
authors.affiliation: Radboud university medical center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare (IQ healthcare), Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Irene
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: van de Glind
authors.affiliation: Department of Public and Occupational Health, and EMGO Institute for Health and Care Research, VU University Medical Center, Van der Boechorststraat 7, Amsterdam, 1081 BT, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: van Mechelen
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Wellbeing, College of Social Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8RS, UK.
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mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004739:England; D015444:Exercise / Q000523:psychology*; D005538:Football; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009426:Netherlands; D009664:Norway; D000067074:Peer Influence; D011174:Portugal; D011788:Quality of Life; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D057566:Self Report; D012916:Soccer
keywords: Cardio-metabolic health; Diet; Football club; Intervention; Long-term behaviour change; Men’s health; Obesity; Physical activity; Randomised controlled trial; Sedentary behaviour