Activating inactive citizens through the organized sports setting: a hurdle race
To determine whether and how National Sports Federations (NSFs) and sports clubs can successfully contribute to increasing physical activity levels among inactive people, doctoral student Linda Ooms followed fourteen Dutch sporting programs for multiple years.
These sporting programs were aimed at increasing sport participation in inactive population groups. The programs were developed by ten NSFs as part of the National Action Plan for Sport and Exercise (NAPSE) and implemented by sports clubs in the Netherlands. The research in this thesis focused on the effectiveness of two programs (Start to Run and Start2Bike) within the NAPSE and characteristics of insufficiently active participants who benefited the most from these programs in terms of increasing health-enhancing physical activity. Furthermore, factors influencing the implementation and long-term sustainability of all NAPSE programs were examined. The doctoral thesis can be found here.
Researcher
Other PhD projects
Evaluating an integrated community-based approach for childhood obesity prevention
In this research project an integrated community-based approach promoting a healthy lifestyle and healthy weight in children and youth (JOGG) will be evaluated.
Survival chances sport clubs
The aim of this research is to identify factors that influence the probability for survival of sport clubs in the Netherlands.
Physical activity in type 2 diabetes care
Physical activity is considered a ‘corner stone’ in type 2 diabetes care. However, physical activity counselling is not always easy. This research aims to gain a profound understanding of these difficulties and offer openings for change.