Sustaining local physical activity programmes: lessons from the United States
Abstract
Physical activity programmes are challenged with sustainability after the initial resources and impetus that created them have subsided. Financial stability is important, but social and political support also factor into whether a programme will be sustainable. Three community programmes in the United States were examined to illustrate what elements of sustainability were realised while attempting to develop the local populations’ health. Site visits were made to each community and 42 people were interviewed. The results reveal that stakeholder support was perceived to decline and was viewed as a substantial hurdle in programme sustainability. This drop-off largely explains why these programmes were constrained in what could be implemented and had limited prospects for sustainability. Although the challenges of sustaining a physical activity programme cannot be completely eliminated, an appreciation for those difficulties increases the possibility that they can be mitigated, and the physical activity programme can be carried out as intended and sustained.
Publication Title
International Journal of Sport Policy
Recommended Citation
Berg, B. (2016). Sustaining local physical activity programmes: lessons from the United States. International Journal of Sport Policy, 8 (2), 245-264. https://doi.org/10.1080/19406940.2015.1108353
