GO Active, Get Healthyis a 3 year pilot programme aiming to increase participation in physical activity and sport in those who are inactive. This project has developed, maintained and promoted a ‘Physical Activity and Sport Pathway’ based on the Department of Health’s ‘Let’s Get Moving’model.The programme has a two-tiered approach;

  • Tier One is based on the existing GO Active programme, led by a coordinator in each district. The coordinator ensures there is a varied and interesting range of activities/opportunities available, with particular focus on activities for inactive people
  • Tier Two supports participants to become more active through motivational coaching and on-going support over 12 months to help elicit behaviour change. Subsidised activities are provided in the form of a voucher booklet and incentives are offered to take part in the full 12 month programme

Participants are recruited into Tier Two through a range of different environments, including referrals from health organisations: GP surgeries, pharmacies, physiotherapists etc.andnon–health organisations: children’s centres, workplaces, Local Authorities. A ‘payment by results’ model has been developed and is being piloted for referring organisations.

The programme is funded by Sport England, Oxfordshire Public Health and Oxfordshire Sport and Physical Activity (OXSPA). The programme is led by the core team at OXSPA and delivered by a multitude of partners; Oxford Brookes University, South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District Councils, West Oxfordshire District Council, Oxford City Council, Cherwell District Council, Fusion Lifestyle, GLL and Parkwood Leisure Limited and SOLL Leisure.

Overall objectives

  • Increase participation in physical activity and sport among the inactive (those doing 30mins or less physical activity a week)
  • Develop an effective pathway for inactive people that is replicable & scalable that can deliver local health organisations’ priorities
  • Enhance the evidence base for the role sport plays in engaging inactive people

Participants

Tier One Data (from April 2013 – June 2015)

  • 3762people have been engaged in tier one of the programme that were doing 30mins or less of activity a week
  • 5715people have been engaged in tier one of the programme that were doing 90mins or less of activity a week
  • 14362 peoplehave been engaged in total in tier one of the programme (all levels of activity)

Tier Two Data (from February 2014 – April 2015)

  • 432 people have entered the programme
  • 87 organisations have signed up to refer(82.8% are health)
  • 52.1%were referred in and 47.9%self-referred
  • 55.1% of people entering the programme go on to take it up
  • People were more likely to take up the programme if referred byhealth or non-health organisations

Referrals per district:

  • Most referrals have come from Oxford City(28.3%)andleast from Vale of White horse (11.7%)
  • West Oxfordshirehad the highest proportion (63.6%) referred by health referrers
  • Cherwellhad the highest proportion of non-health referrals (21.3%)

Referrals per district

  • Three quartersof participants were women
  • Approximatelyhalf were between 35 and 54 years old
  • The vast majority (~80%) were white
  • 21 people (8.8% of total) who took up the programme were from Oxfordshire’s 12 most deprived super output areas
  • Of the 82 people with long term health problems or disability, the majority that took up the programme (57%) reported multiple impairments
  • The order in terms of frequency of impairment reported was:

Results

Due to the project being on-going, it only possible to include individuals that have completed the follow up assessments in the data presented below. It should also be considered that, whilst follow up rates were good, there is an opportunity for outcome bias.

Physical activity

Physical activity was measured using the IPAQ short. The questionnaire assigns metabolic equivalents (METs) to time spent in vigorous (8.0METs x minute), moderate (4.0METs x minute) and walking (3.3METs x minute) physical activity domains. The questionnaire also records the time spent sitting and doing sport (the latter being a Sport England modification).

At 3months

52%of people had increasedthe number of days they were physically active

Average total amount of physical activitysignificantly increasedfrom 420.0* (±617.1) at baseline to 1031 (±762.8) MET-minutes/week at 3months

Physical activity increasedsignificantly increased across all IPAQ domains(vigorous/moderate/walking)

The largest increase was in moderate physical activity

There was a significant increase in time spent doing sport from 1.6(±9.6) to 13.6(±40.8) minutes per week and areduction in time spent sitting

At 6 months

The increase in total amount of physical activitywas maintained

There was significantly more physical activityin the vigorousdomain than at 3months

The increase in time spent doing sportand reduction in timespent sitting was maintained

Health outcome was measured using the EQ-5D-5L. The EQ-5D-5L is comprised of an index score (‘0 worst health you can imagine – 100 best health you can imagine’) and a descriptive system. The descriptive system includes the following 5 dimensions: mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort and anxiety/depression.

EQ-5D-5L

  • Perceptions of general health was low compared to UK norms (index score = 86)
  • At 3monthsperceptions of healthsignificantly increased
  • This increase was maintained at 6months
  • There was no change in dimension scores

Health Service Use

  • During the 3month intervention there was significantly less GP visits(average 1.4) than before the intervention (average 1.9)
  • This was maintainedat the 6month assessment

Perceptions of the programme

Experiences of the programme were sort from both referrers and participants through questionnaires.

Referrers

In July 2014 a newsletter was sent to all referrers to give them an update on the programme and to ask them to complete a survey to capture their experience of the programme.

  • The majority found the process of referring people into the programme straight forward
  • Whilst referrers were relatively confident in determining who was suitable for the programme, no referrer strongly agreed with the statement. ‘I am confident at determining who is suitable for GO Active, Get Healthy’
  • However, the majority strongly agreed that they were ‘confident about raising the issue of inactivity’
  • Interestingly, the payment was not seen as an important incentiveto encourage them to make referrals

Following the intervention, at the 3month assessment the following questions on the experience on the programme were asked:

  1. How satisfied were you with process of getting referred into the programme?
  1. Did you find the coaching on the telephone helpful for motivating you to take part in exercise?
  1. How much did you enjoy the activities you tried?
  1. How much do you perceive the activities you tried benefitted you in terms of your health and wellbeing?
  1. In general how satisfied are you with programme?

Testimonials

Rhiannon, Banbury

“I am so glad that I signed up to GO Active, Get Healthy as it has made a huge impact on my life both physically and emotionally. I would definitely recommend it”

“I am able to have a very much more normal and spontaneous life. I am now more independent; I can now look forward to the future and make plans.”

Paul, Cherwell

"I found the GO Active, Get Healthy scheme motivating, thought provoking and best of all successful in its attempt to get me exercising again. It helped me try new activities and put me firmly back on course to enjoying the healthier lifestyle I knew I wanted but had struggled to achieve. Many thanks to everyone who helped"