Exchange of experiences in physical activity and sports promotion in children and adolescents
This HEPA Europe working group, co-led by Ms Elaine Murtagh, University of Limerick, Ireland, and Ms Anna Chalkley, Loughborough University, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, aims to build a community of members who share an interest in the research and promotion of physical activity for children and young people (0–18 years). This includes evidence-based interventions and approaches to increasing physical activity and/or reducing sedentary behaviour across a range of settings, for example, schools and communities.
The working group will provide a forum for members to meet regularly to:
- Disseminate and discuss recent developments in the field of physical activity and health with others who share these interests
- Share and collate examples of best practices in the promotion of physical activity to children and youth
- Collaborate and connect to identify and address gaps in research, policy and practice to enhance the well-being of children and young people.
Members of the working group have previously collaborated and were awarded Erasmus+ Sports funding to explore the prevention of youth (12–19 years) dropout from sports. The Keep Youngsters Involved project identified 14 factors that help prevent youth dropout from sports and developed a toolkit and resources that can be used by sports clubs, professionals and volunteers who work with this age group.
