Introduction
Staffordshire University secured £245,000 from Stoke PCT for a research project examining the “Impact and process of community-led intervention on reducing health inequalities related to physical activity”. The project aims to develop and to evaluate a novel community-led intervention aimed at reducing health inequalities by targeting health-related problems relating to increasing physical activity as defined by community members themselves.
The project website is at http://www.myhealthmatters.org
Background and context
Following the success of the MRC-funded project studying the diet and exercise patterns of residents of Stoke-on-Trent, the local Primary Care Trust has commissioned the Centre for Sport, Health and Exercise Research and IESR to investigate the effects of a community intervention programme.
Summary of project research
The intervention1. used community participatory research to build an effective community partnership in order to engage community residents and strengthen community involvement and participation
2. based on partnership consensus, identified, prioritised and designed intervention(s) related to specific health disparities (and their relevant determinants, mediators)
3. recruited local residents to help with the delivery and sustainability of the target intervention(s)
4. established local systems for ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the intervention and overall impact on social capital and health inequalities.
Project impact
Project reports and publications
A paper describing the project design has been published:
Davey, R.C.; Hurst, G.L.; Smith, G.R.; Grogan, S.; Kurth, J. (2011) The
impact and process of a community-led intervention on reducing environmental
inequalities related to physical activity and healthy eating - a pilot study.
BMC Public Health, 11(1), 697.
Conference presentations:
11th International Congress of Behavioural Medicine, Washington DC, USA,
August 2010.
Gemma Hurst, Rachel Davey, Graham Smith: My Health Matters – A community-led
intervention to reduce health inequalities related to physical activity
and healthy eating in Stoke-on-Trent, UK.
Annual Meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and
Physical Activity, Melbourne, Australia, June 2011.
Smith G, Hurst G, Davey R (paper): Exploring agreement between subjective
and objective neighbourhood environment measures to inform community-led
physical activity and health interventions.
Hurst G, Davey R, Smith, G & Kurth J (poster): My Health Matters
– A community-led intervention to reduce health inequalities related to
physical activity and healthy eating in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Study Protocol
and Baseline Findings.
Hurst G, Davey R, Smith, G & Kurth J (poster): My Health Matters
– A community-led intervention to reduce health inequalities related to
physical activity and healthy eating in Stoke-on-Trent, UK. Community Consultation
Methods and Findings.