Document Type
Journal Article
Publication Title
BMJ Open
ISSN
2044-6055
Volume
8
Issue
10
First Page
022663
Last Page
022663
PubMed ID
30337315
Publisher
BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
School
Exercise Medicine Research Institute / School of Medical and Health Sciences
RAS ID
27565
Funders
Aussie-FIT was funded by Healthway (grant number 31953), and builds on the Football Fans in Training (FFIT) programme, the development and evaluation of which was undertaken by a research team led by the University of Glasgow with funding from various grants including a Medical Research Council (MRC) grant (reference number MC_UU_12017/3), a Chief Scientist Office (CSO) grant (reference number CZG/2/504) and a National Institute for Health Research grant (NIHR) (reference number 09/3010/06). The development and evaluation of FFIT was facilitated through partnership working with the Scottish Professional Football League Trust (SPFLT). This research was supported by the Western Australian Health Promotion Foundation (Healthway), through research grant 31953.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Overweight and obesity are highly prevalent among Australian men. Professional sports settings can act as a powerful 'hook' to engage men in weight loss programmes; the Football Fans in Training programme delivered in professional UK soccer clubs was successful and cost-effective in helping men lose weight. The Australian Football League (AFL) is a potentially attractive setting to engage men in a weight loss programme. We aim to develop, pilot and evaluate the feasibility of a weight loss intervention for overweight/obese middle-aged men, delivered in AFL settings, to promote weight loss and healthier lifestyles and determine its suitability for a future randomised control trial.
METHODS AND ANALYSIS: 120 overweight/obese male fans will complete baseline physical and psychological health measures and objective measures of physical activity (PA), weight, waist size and blood pressure prior to randomisation into the intervention or waitlist comparison group. The intervention group will receive 12 weekly 90 min workshops incorporating PA, nutrition education, behaviour change techniques and principles of effective motivation. Four community coaches will be trained to deliver Aussie-FIT at two AFL clubs in Western Australia. Measurements will be repeated in both groups at 3 months (post-intervention) and 6 months (follow-up). Outcomes will include programme uptake, attendance, changes in lifestyle and weight variables to inform power calculations for a future definitive trial, fidelity of programme delivery, acceptability, satisfaction with the programme and perceptions of effectiveness. We will also determine trial feasibility and potential to gather cost-effectiveness data.
ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Ethics approval was granted by Curtin University's Human Research Ethics Committee (HREC2017-0458). Results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and reports. A multicomponent dissemination strategy will include targeted translation and stakeholder engagement events to establish strategies for sustainability and policy change.
TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: ACTRN12617000515392; Pre-results.
DOI
10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022663
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Comments
Quested, E., Kwasnicka, D., Thøgersen-Ntoumani, C., Gucciardi, D. F., Kerr, D. A., Hunt, K., ... Ntoumanis, N. (2018). Protocol for a gender-sensitised weight loss and healthy living programme for overweight and obese men delivered in Australian football league settings (Aussie-FIT): A feasibility and pilot randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 8(10), Article e022663. Available here