Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41857490›Full record

ArticleBritish journal of health psychology2026

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.

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

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In one paragraph

Article in British journal of health psychology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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

What it found

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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

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Brendan J SmithPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5758-0032
Matthew D McDonaldPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Joanne McVeighPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Dominika KwasnickaSchool of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Hugh RiddellPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Andrew MaioranaPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.
Bryce BrickleyCollege of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute, Flinders University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Toby PaveySchool of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Eleanor QuestedPhysical Activity and Well-Being Research Group, enAble Institute, Curtin University, Perth, Western Australia, Australia.

Funding

National Heart Foundation of Australia
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesSufficient 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.

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

methodsTen 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).

resultsFive 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.

conclusionsThese 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.

Indexed as

ExerciseHealth BehaviorHealth PromotionAgedAustraliaHumansInterviews as TopicMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchSocial Supportbehaviour change maintenancegender‐tailored programsmen's healthphysical activity

Identifiers

PMID41857490
PMCPMC13003011

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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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.