Manager, coach and sports club participant perceptions of health promotion

Objectives: Sports clubs' investment in health promotion (HP) has so far been limited, and efforts to understand where gaps exist in implementation are few and far between. This mixed-method study analysed managers', coaches' and sports participants' perceptions of HP in a single sports club. Design: A mixed-method cross sectional design was used. Setting: The goal was to assess HP perceptions at the macro (club), meso (managers) and micro (coaches) levels with respect to four key health determinants. Method: Quantitative data were collected from 237 participants using e-PROSCeSS questionnaires. Qualitative data collection included two meetings with managers and a focus group with sports club participants. Data analysis took place by means of a hybrid thematic analysis informed by the health promoting sports club (HPSC) model. Results: Similar answer patterns among managers, coaches and sports club participants illustrated that social and environmental determinants scored higher than organisational and economic determinants, which was consistent with qualitative findings. Only one significant difference was found between managers and sports club participants - for organisational determinants at the macro level. In others words, all club actors agreed that sports clubs needed to invest in HP policy and funding, and not only acknowledge that HP is an integral outcome of sports participation. Gender differences in HP perceptions were identified, while being a volunteer compared to a non-volunteer did not make any significant difference. Conclusion: Study findings raise questions about how best to implement and evaluate sports club HP, especially in relation to policies and resources. This is essential to understand the interactions between macro, meso and micro level health determinants and the temporal implications of implementing a HPSC's approach.