Keep active

A review of physical activity programmes targeted at disadvantaged populations concluded that multi-component group-cased programmes were effective for adults, although not for children. Community-wide interventions tended to produce small improvements in physical activity. However, there was only limited evidence for the effectiveness of interventions aimed at hard to reach groups. Those programmes that had some kind of theoretical underpinning tended to work better, as did those that combined physical activity with education and social support. A study from the US offers a meta-analysis of behaviour and health outcomes for physical activity interventions amongst healthy ethnic minority adults. An article in the European Journal of Public Health examines the economic appraisal behind NICE's guidance on environmental interventions to promote physical activity.