Translational Formative Evaluation before Scale-up of a Physical Activity Intervention for Older Men

Despite irrefutable health benefits of physical activity, older adults remain among the least active Canadians. To achieve population health, physical activity interventions that proved effective in controlled research settings must be delivered at scale to reach broader populations of older adults across multiple settings. Formative evaluations are essential, as they identify barriers and enablers to implementation across levels of stakeholder groups and settings. Thus, we conducted a formative evaluation of a choice- and evidence-based physical activity intervention (Men on the Move) designed for scalability. We adopted key elements of two implementation frameworks that place characteristics of the innovation, prevention delivery system, prevention support system, and prevention synthesis and translation system at the core of implementation success. Guided by the Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation, data were collected from delivery partners, including 1 leader from a key provincial recreation organization, 6 recreation directors/coordinators and 3 activity coaches, and 14 participants (older men). This research team participated in prevention support and prevention synthesis and translation systems. Two trained interviewers conducted telephone interviews with delivery partners, and five trained interviewers and a notetaker conducted in-person interviews with participants. Five themes emerged from analyses of delivery partner interviews: support, activity coaches, intervention delivery, Men on the Move continuation, and the absence of men. Two themes emerged from our analyses of participant data: monitoring and connectedness. Lessons learned from this formative evaluation will guide the adaptation of the intervention to context and population for scale-up across British Columbia, Canada. In so doing, we aim to bridge the know–do–scale-up gap, which is imperative as we seek to improve older adult health at the population level.