Exploring how men's physical activity behaviour changes during and after the Australian Fans-In-Training (Aussie-FIT) program: A qualitative study using the theoretical domains framework

IF 2.5 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

British Journal of Health Psychology Pub Date : 2026-03-19 DOI:10.1111/bjhp.70066

Brendan J. Smith, Matthew D. McDonald, Joanne McVeigh, Dominika Kwasnicka, Hugh Riddell, Andrew Maiorana, Bryce Brickley, Toby Pavey, Eleanor Quested

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Objectives

Sufficient physical activity (PA) reduces the risk of chronic disease. In Australia, men experience higher rates of overweight, obesity and cardiovascular disease than women. Gender-sensitized PA interventions like Australian Fans-In-Training (Aussie-FIT) leverage men's interest in sport to promote behaviour change and have shown promise for initiating PA. However, maintaining these changes remains a challenge. While previous research has identified barriers and facilitators to men's PA engagement, fewer studies examine how engagement evolves over time. This study aimed to explore how men make sense of their PA behaviour change journey during and after the 12-week Aussie-FIT program.

Design

Qualitative study using individual semistructured interviews conducted 3 months post-program.

Methods

Ten men (mean age = 58.2, SD = 8.85 years) participated in interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis, with themes deductively mapped to the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

Results

Five themes were developed: Rediscovering the joy of physical activity through football; Social support in multiple contexts; Physical activity becoming ‘second nature’; Seeking and seizing opportunities and ‘It really inspired me to keep going, but then it stopped’. Themes mapped to seven TDF domains, with behavioural regulation, environmental context and resources and social influences most relevant for sustaining PA. Early engagement was supported by sport-based identity, nostalgia and social connection, while later engagement involved self-regulatory strategies and transitional support needs.

Conclusions

These results offer novel, process-oriented insights into how men engage with PA over time, reinforcing the dynamic nature of PA maintenance and the value of tailoring interventions to support men across the behaviour change journey.

Abstract Image

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探索在澳大利亚球迷训练（Australian - fit）计划期间和之后男性体育活动行为的变化：一项使用理论领域框架的定性研究。

目的：充分的身体活动（PA）降低慢性疾病的风险。在澳大利亚，男性超重、肥胖和心血管疾病的发病率高于女性。性别敏感的PA干预措施，如澳大利亚训练中的球迷（Australian - fit）利用男性对体育的兴趣来促进行为改变，并有望启动PA。然而，维持这些变化仍然是一个挑战。虽然之前的研究已经确定了男性对私人助理的投入的障碍和促进因素，但很少有研究调查这种投入是如何随着时间的推移而演变的。这项研究旨在探索男性在为期12周的澳大利亚fit计划期间和之后如何理解他们的PA行为改变之旅。设计：在项目结束后3个月，使用个人半结构化访谈进行定性研究。方法：10名男性（平均年龄58.2岁，SD = 8.85岁）参与访谈。数据分析使用反身性主题分析，主题演绎映射到理论领域框架（TDF）。结果：形成了五个主题：通过足球重新发现体育活动的乐趣；多元情境下的社会支持；体育活动成为“第二天性”；寻找并抓住机会，“这真的激励我继续前进，但后来它停止了。”主题映射到七个TDF领域，其中行为调节、环境背景和资源以及社会影响与维持PA最相关。早期参与受到基于运动的身份认同、怀旧和社会联系的支持，而后期参与则涉及自我调节策略和过渡支持需求。结论：这些结果提供了新颖的，以过程为导向的见解，以了解男性如何随着时间的推移参与PA，加强了PA维护的动态性质，以及定制干预措施的价值，以支持男性的行为改变之旅。

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来源期刊

British Journal of Health Psychology PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

14.10

自引率

1.30%

发文量

期刊介绍： The focus of the British Journal of Health Psychology is to publish original research on various aspects of psychology that are related to health, health-related behavior, and illness throughout a person's life. The journal specifically seeks articles that are based on health psychology theory or discuss theoretical matters within the field.