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Promoting Health-Enhancing Physical Activity: a State-of-the-art Review of Peer-Delivered Interventions

  • Psychological Issues (V Drapeau and V Ivezaj, Section Editors)
  • Published:
Current Obesity Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose of Review

In this review, we critically examined recent evidence pertaining to the efficacy of peer-delivered physical activity interventions.

Recent Findings

Peer-delivered interventions appear to represent an efficacious, although under-utilized, means of promoting health-enhancing physical activity, among diverse populations across the lifespan, and in different settings. Nevertheless, research has largely failed to identify the salient behaviors/strategies of peer leaders that can promote behavior change among target populations, as well as explanatory mechanisms (i.e., mediators) of intervention effects.

Summary

Balanced against recent evidence for the efficacy of peer-delivered interventions to promote physical activity, work in this area appears impeded by an absence of peer-centric explanatory frameworks and theory that may optimize both intervention delivery and efficacy/effectiveness.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Kinesiology, University of British Columbia, War Memorial Gymnasium, Room 122, 6081 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z1, Canada

    Ryan M. Hulteen, Katrina J. Waldhauser & Mark R. Beauchamp

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  1. Ryan M. Hulteen
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  2. Katrina J. Waldhauser
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  3. Mark R. Beauchamp
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Correspondence to Mark R. Beauchamp.

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Hulteen, R.M., Waldhauser, K.J. & Beauchamp, M.R. Promoting Health-Enhancing Physical Activity: a State-of-the-art Review of Peer-Delivered Interventions. Curr Obes Rep 8, 341–353 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13679-019-00366-w

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