Sports Based Health Interventions

This unique volume explores a growing collaboration between the sport and health sectors to deliver innovative public health interventions in the community. It explores the role of sport and sports settings as a vehicle for achieving health outcomes, as well as some of the practical and moral challenges presented by sport and public health partnerships working together. Twenty detailed examples illustrate the broad range of programs which have already been developed around the world, from across the spectrum of public health activity. Chapters include: • Time Out for Your Health: A sports-based health intervention approach with American football teams• Promoting Mental Wellbeing in Rugby League communities• Slum Soccer – female empowerment through football• Football 4 Peace• Sport as a post-disaster psychosocial intervention for children in Bam, Iran• Sex and Sport: An Australian rules football-based chlamydia screening initiative As well as showcasing what has been achieved in this exciting new field, Sports-based Health Interventions shares valuable advice and lessons learnt to inform the next generation of sports-based public health initiatives.

Mental health within elite sport has traditionally been ignored, but recent research has shown that competitive sport can at times seriously undermine mental health and that athletes are exposed to specific stressors that hinder their mental health optimisation. Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport provides an indispensable guide for researchers and practitioners wanting to understand and implement sport-based intervention processes. This important book adopts an evidenced based approach, discussing the context of the intervention, its design and implementation, and its evaluation and legacy. With cases on depression, eating disorders, and athletic burnout, the book is designed to provide practitioners, policy makers and researchers with a cutting-edge overview of the key issues involved in this burgeoning area, while also including cases on how sport itself has been used as a method to improve mental health. Written for newcomers and established practitioners alike, the text is an essential read for researchers and practitioners in better understanding the sport setting-based intervention processes through presenting current research, theory and practice, applicable in a variety of sports settings and contexts.

Mental health within elite sport has traditionally been ignored, but recent research has shown that competitive sport can at times seriously undermine mental health and that athletes are exposed to specific stressors that hinder their mental health optimisation. Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport provides an indispensable guide for researchers and practitioners wanting to understand and implement sport-based intervention processes. This important book adopts an evidenced based approach, discussing the context of the intervention, its design and implementation, and its evaluation and legacy. With cases on depression, eating disorders, and athletic burnout, the book is designed to provide practitioners, policy makers and researchers with a cutting-edge overview of the key issues involved in this burgeoning area, while also including cases on how sport itself has been used as a method to improve mental health. Written for newcomers and established practitioners alike, the text is an essential read for researchers and practitioners in better understanding the sport setting-based intervention processes through presenting current research, theory and practice, applicable in a variety of sports settings and contexts.

Physical Activity and Health Promotion: Evidence-based Approaches to Practice evaluates the realities and complexities of working to reverse the adverse trend toward physical inactivity. It is a well-rounded, evidence-based study of interventions for physical activity practice, covering a range of settings and target groups. Expert contributors present case studies which help to translate the theory into practice, from individual to societal levels, enriched by explanations of the socio-political context.

It is a common assumption that sport is good for us and that participation in sport embodies public health benefits. With sport being increasingly used to deliver public health interventions worldwide, this book critically examines the rationale and evidence for sport as a public health policy tool. Featuring contributions from the United Kingdom, United States, Europe and Australia, it sheds new light on an emerging field of research which has significant implications for public health across the globe. Each chapter looks at the effectiveness of sport interventions across the lifespan for biological, psychological and social benefits, including those that utilise a settings-based approach to health promotion such as schools and professional sport clubs. Drawing on cutting-edge research which examines policy and practice at community and elite levels, this book addresses key topics such as education, engaging children and young adults, mental health, sport sponsorship and volunteering. Sport and Health: Exploring the Current State of Play is important reading for all students, scholars and policy makers with an interest in the sociology of sport, physical activity and public health.

With approximately 1 in 6 adults likely to experience a significant mental health problem at any one time (Office for National Statistics), research into effective interventions has never been more important. During the past decade there has been an increasing interest in the role that sport and physical activity can play in the treatment of mental health problems, and in mental health promotion. The benefits resulting from physiological changes during exercise are well documented, including improvement in mood and control of anxiety and depression. Research also suggests that socio-cultural and psychological changes arising from engagement in sport and physical activity carry valuable mental health benefits. Sport and Physical Activity for Mental Health is an evidence-based practical guide for nurses, allied health professionals, social workers, physical activity leaders, and sport coaches. The authors provide comprehensive analysis of a broad range of client narratives, integrating theory and the latest research to explore the effectiveness of various interventions. The book offers readers detailed recommendations, suggestions, and ideas as to how sport and physical activity opportunities can be tailored to provide the greatest mental health benefits.

Now in its second edition, this book provides a focused, comprehensive overview of up-to-date mental health research, models, and approaches in sport, with expertise from global experts in the field. Mental health remains a widely growing area in the field of sport psychology, which requires expert guidance and care in promoting effective well-being for athletes, coaches and sport officials. Fully updated throughout, Mental Health and Well-being Interventions in Sport is an indispensable guide for researchers, practitioners and students wanting to understand and implement sport-based intervention processes. This important book adopts an evidenced based approach, discussing the context of the intervention, its design and implementation, and its evaluation and legacy. Exploring areas such as injury, rehabilitation, depression, eating disorders, verbal and physical abuse, and athletic burnout, this insightful volume dissects emerging research into straightforward accessible chapters. Offering a cutting-edge overview of the key issues involved in this burgeoning area, as well as example cases of how sport has been used in extreme environments such as prisons as a method to improve mental health, the book will benefit practitioners, policy makers and researchers. Written for newcomers and established practitioners across a variety of sports setting and contexts, the authors highlight the need for "another call to action" to support the mental health and wellbeing of all involved in sport. Presenting current research, theory and practice in the field, the text is an essential read for researchers, practitioners, and coaches to better understand sport-based intervention processes.

Developing Effective Physical Activity Programs emphasizes the move away from a one-size-fits-all approach to physical activity interventions by providing evidence-based recommendations for designing, implementing, and evaluating more effective and appropriate physical activity interventions for diverse populations. Part of Human Kinetics' Physical Activity Intervention series, the book provides research, methods, techniques, and support to health professionals seeking ways to promote physical activity programs that meet the specific needs of women, overweight and obese populations, older adults, and ethnically diverse populations--those shown as most likely to be sedentary and in need of the benefits of physical activity interventions. Developing Effective Physical Activity Programs offers background information to guide the planning process: Physical activity recommendations for adults from various federal agencies and professional organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department Health and Human Services, and the American College of Sports Medicine; An overview of scientific literature, which serves as a foundation for the physical activity recommendations; Detailed information regarding the four cornerstones of physical activity promotion: needs assessment, program planning, program implementation, and program evaluation; Descriptions of various physical activity measurement techniques and factors to consider when choosing one of these techniques. The authors explain how careful consideration of the needs of specific populations can increase the success of physical activity interventions. They present evidence-based recommendations for working with various populations. Key considerations are discussed for each population, including the elements that make up the most successful interventions, unique barriers, and techniques for overcoming those barriers. Helpful tables summarize the barriers and solutions for each group, providing quick reference for designing programs. The final section of the text examines how the built environment, setting, and technology can influence intervention planning. You'll look at the ways in which neighborhood and community design can affect a person's physical activity levels. You'll also consider the various settings in which a program can be held, including homes, churches, and worksites, and how those settings will affect your program. This section also shows you how technology, such as Web- and phone-based interventions and podcasts, can be used to expand the reach of your program and positively influence the physical activity levels of participants. Throughout the book are summaries of current research studies examining physical activity interventions in various populations and settings along with descriptions and examples of successful programs and explanations for their success. In addition, each chapter concludes with helpful checklists that provide recommendations for developing and implementing physical activity interventions in various populations and settings. Unique in its comprehensive coverage of special populations, Developing Effective Physical Activity Programs shows practitioners how to answer the physical activity needs of each client or client group, address issues relevant to sedentary populations, and offer viable physical activity programs to improve the lives of the unique individuals they serve. Developing Effective Physical Activity Programs is part of the Physical Activity Intervention series. This timely series provides educational resources for professionals interested in promoting and implementing physical activity programs to a diverse and often resistant population.