A sports setting matrix for understanding the implementation context for community sport

Area of Science:

• Public health research
• Sports science
• Intervention effectiveness

Background:

• Real-world effectiveness research is crucial for public health impact in community sport.
• Interventions efficacious in trials may fail if not adopted and sustained.
• Existing frameworks like RE-AIM need adaptation for multi-level sports interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel extension of the RE-AIM framework for the community sports setting.
• To address the challenge of evaluating interventions targeting multiple levels of sports delivery.
• To guide the implementation and assessment of sports safety and health promotion interventions.

Main Methods:

• Development of the RE-AIM Sports Setting Matrix (RE-AIM SSM).
• Extension of the RE-AIM framework to accommodate multi-level intervention targets.
• Application of the framework to coach-delivered exercise training interventions.

Main Results:

• The RE-AIM SSM provides a tailored approach for evaluating interventions in community sports.
• It accounts for the need to measure RE-AIM components across all relevant tiers of influence.
• Specific examples illustrate its application for coach-delivered interventions.

Conclusions:

• The RE-AIM SSM is a novel tool specifically designed for the community sports context.
• It can guide the delivery and evaluation of future sports safety and health promotion initiatives.
• This matrix enhances the assessment of public health impact by considering multi-level implementation.