Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37539694›Full record

SynthesisPerspectives in public health2025

What makes community-based, multilevel physical activity promotion last? A systematic review with narrative synthesis on factors for sustainable implementation.

N Helsper, L Dippon, L Birkholz, A Rütten, S Kohler, P Weber, K Pfeifer, J Semrau

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Perspectives in public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. The Role of Sport Coaches in Promoting the Health and Wellbeing of Athletes with Developmental Disabilities.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2026
    Article
  3. Article
  4. Review
  5. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

N HelsperDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-9555-9143
L DipponDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.
L BirkholzDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.
A RüttenDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.
S KohlerDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.
P WeberDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.
K PfeiferDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.
J SemrauDepartment of Sport Science and Sport, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Gebbertstraße 123b, Erlangen 91058, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimTo follow the need for more research and strategies to enhance the knowledge of sustainable implementation, we examined cases of community-based, multilevel physical activity-related health promotion after initial funding has ceased and aimed to identify factors that influence their sustainable implementation.

methodsFive scientific databases (PubMed; Scopus; Ebsco Host with CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Sportdiscus; ProQuest and Web of Science) were systematically searched for relevant literature in December 2021. Three reviewers performed a title/abstract screening and independently screened the full texts of the remaining papers, followed by a quality assessment. A narrative synthesis method, including qualitative text analysis, was used to synthesise retrieved articles. As starting point, the framework of Schell et al. containing nine domains for sustainability capacity was used and new emerging themes were inductively added.

resultsThe search revealed 270 potentially eligible articles out of 27,652 hits. After the systematic review process, 14 studies were included. In the synthesis, 14 factors influencing the sustainablity of community-based, multilevel physical activity-related health promotion were identified of which six are new factors compared to Schell et al. In particular, our findings bring forth a novel understanding of the importance of the factors 'Participation and Partnerships', 'Empowerment and Capacity Building' and 'Community Support'. A dynamic interplay and high connectedness between factors were visible.

conclusionThe identified factors can help establish a better understanding of sustainability processes within whole-system approaches intervening on multiple levels in the community with the aim of systems change. They are relevant for practitioners, researchers and policy makers alike. Future research should more closely examine based on further theoretical elaboration how an interplay between the factors can promote sustainability and which interdependencies are of particular importance in facilitating sustainable and equitable change.

Indexed as

ExerciseHealth PromotionHumanscommunityhealth promotionmultilevel physical activity promotionprogramme sustainabilitysystems changewhole-system approach

Identifiers

PMID37539694
PMCPMC12457715

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.