Introduction: Physical inactivity is thought to contribute to the emergence of non-communicable diseases in post-conflict settings of low-income countries. Sport-for-development (SfD) organisations in these regions claim to improve the health of programme participants. However, there is a paucity of supporting evidence. I assessed the impact of a voluntary community-based SfD intervention on the physical activity (PA), physical fitness (PF) and mental health (MH) of adolescents in Gulu, Uganda. Methods: The Acholi Psychosocial Assessment Instrument (APAI), standing broad jump (SBJ), multi-stage fitness test (MSFT) and BMI-for-age (BFA) were adapted to the local context. I tested their feasibility and reliability with a repeat-measures design (n=70). A cross-sectional analysis of a random sample was used to assess the local needs and establish the PF and MH of the adolescents reached by the intervention (n=1464). This was also the baseline assessment for the impact evaluation. It comprised a randomised control trial (n=144) nested within a cohort study (n=1400) and triangulated by cross-sectional assessment of PA using accelerometry (n=54). Results: The adapted PF and MH measures demonstrated good intra-tester reliability (ICC>0.75). Adolescents in Gulu predominantly had “healthy” BFA (>90%). They performed better than global norms for the SBJ (p<0.001), but worse for the MSFT (p<0.05). The girls who registered for the intervention had higher PF at baseline (p<0.05) and experienced no significant benefits when compared to the community. The aerobic capacity of the boys intervention group increased relative to the community (p<0.01), but was not significantly different to the trial control group whose PF also improved. The PA results concurred with this finding. Boys in the intervention group experienced a deterioration in MH relative to their peers (p<0.05). Implications: It is feasible to apply rigorous evaluation methods to SfD interventions. Although adolescents in Gulu have poor aerobic capacity, a voluntary programme may not reach those at risk. Interpreting the impact evaluation was limited by a lack of programme development theory, but suggested that opportunities for non-competitive play may confer PF benefit without harming MH. Further investigation is warranted.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:559816 |
| Date | January 2011 |
| Creators | Richards, Justin A. |
| Contributors | Foster, Charlie |
| Publisher | University of Oxford |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Source | http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:9632dcfc-94e6-45ac-a4c1-ad63113f9b59 |
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