Effectiveness of Physical Activity Interventions for Adult Males

On average, males have a shorter life expectancy and experience higher mortality rates attributable to chronic diseases than their female counterparts.  Despite this, adult males are often less likely to access health services or utilize preventive healthcare services including cancer screening and lifestyle modification programmes. 

Adis data Information, 

Sports Med: Physical inactivity is one of the main modifiable risk factors for a range of noncommunicable diseases. Of particular interest are adult males, a hard-toreach population group for health promotion interventions. The purpose of this review is to provide a critical evaluation of the published health-related

physical activity interventions that have targeted adult males.

As mainstream public health interventions often fail to reach these particular individuals, it has been recommended that health promotion and prevention programmes take on a tailored and culturally appropriate approach to reach males across all population groups. High blood pressure, high body mass, physical inactivity and low fruit and vegetable intake are the main modifiable risk factors that contribute to poor health and the burden of disease in males. 

Such risk factors are often targeted in health promotion initiatives; however, physical activity, for example, is still one of the leading contributors to the global burden of disease and is one of the five leading risks of mortality worldwide.

Research shows that sufficient physical activity is associated with a lower risk of developing noncommunicable diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis and some forms of cancer. Regular physical activity has also been positively associated with higher levels of mental health and well-being. Despite an abundance of strong evidence surrounding physical activity and its associated health benefits, an alarming proportion of adults continue to lead sedentary or low-activity lifestyles. In the period between 2007 and 2008, for example, less than half (48.5%) of Australian males reported participating in sufficient levels of physical activity, that is, 150 minutes or more of moderate and/or vigorous physical activity in a 1-week period. 

Low levels of sufficient physical activity and the subsequent potential effects on the health of adult males warrant concern. As indicated in the literature, males are a particularly hard-to-reach population group, who experience a range of health inequities. These inequities are magnified in non-metropolitan areas that often have lower access to medical services, as such implementing preventive health initiatives targeting men can be challenging.

A recently published review by Waters et al. found that few physical activity intervention studies reported intervention effects by sex, and indicated that there was a need for authors to do so. The findings of their review also emphasized the need for interventions designed to appeal to male participants, with fewer than

35% of participants in the 32 included studies being male. 

While a large number of reviews on the effectiveness of physical activity interventions have been published, to our knowledge there are currently no reviews that focus on male participants. The purpose of this review is, therefore, to provide a critical evaluation of the effectiveness of physical activity interventions in adult males.

While results of the studies included in this review are promising, it is evident that further research is required to examine the utility of innovative approaches for use in male populations before they are widely promoted.