Health promotion activities of sports clubs and coaches, and health and health behaviours in youth participating in sports clubs: the Health Promoting Sports Club study

摘要

Introduction: Sports clubs form a potential setting forhealth promotion, but the research is limited. The aim ofthe Health Promoting Sports Club (HPSC) study was toelucidate the current health promotion activities of youthsports clubs and coaches, and to investigate the healthbehaviours and health status of youth participating insports clubs compared to non-participants.Methods and analysis: The study design employscross-sectional multilevel and multimethod researchwith aspirations to a prospective cohort study in thenext phase. The setting-based variables at sports clubsand coaching levels, and health behaviour variables atthe individual level, are investigated using surveys; andtotal levels of physical activity are assessed usingobjective accelerometer measurements. Health statusvariables will be measured by preparticipationscreening. The health promotion activity of sportsclubs (n=154) is evaluated by club officials (n=313)and coaches (n=281). Coaches and young athletesaged 14–16 (n=759) years evaluate the coaches’ healthpromotion activity. The survey of the adolescents’health behaviours consist of two data sets—the first ison their health behaviours and the second is onmusculoskeletal complaints and injuries. Data arecollected via sports clubs (759 participants) andschools 1650 (665 participants and 983 nonparticipants).591 (418 athletes and 173 non-athletes)youth, have already participated in preparticipationscreening. Screening consists of detailed personalmedical history, electrocardiography, flow-volumespirometry, basic laboratory analyses and health statusscreening, including posture, muscle balance, andstatic and dynamic postural control tests, conducted bysports and exercise medicine specialists.Ethics and dissemination: The HPSC study iscarried out conforming with the declaration of Helsinki.Ethical approval was received from the Ethics Committeeof Health Care District of Central Finland. The HPSCstudy is close-to-practice, which generates foundationsfor development work within youth sports clubs.