[Recommendations for Physical Activity Promotion: Theory and Evidence]

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Promotion
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Developing effective physical activity promotion recommendations requires a strong theoretical foundation and a clear evidence base.
• Existing approaches vary across scientific disciplines, necessitating a unified framework.
• Public health initiatives increasingly rely on multi-level strategies to address physical activity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To define a framework for developing physical activity promotion recommendations.
• To provide a theoretical basis and rationale for classifying promotion strategies.
• To analyze and integrate various evidence-based approaches into a cohesive concept.

Main Methods:

• Comparative analysis of theoretical perspectives from different scientific disciplines.
• Evaluation of diverse approaches to constructing an evidence base for recommendations.
• Integration of findings into a multi-level model framework.

Main Results:

• A framework integrating theoretical foundations, classifications, and evidence-based approaches was developed.
• Integrative multi-level models are fundamental for public health, accommodating individual, social, environmental, and policy factors.
• The evidence base should encompass intervention efficacy, effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• An explicit theoretical framework and a differentiated evidence base concept are crucial for supporting the scientific and political rationale of physical activity promotion recommendations.
• The proposed framework facilitates the development of robust and actionable guidelines.
• Adoption of integrative multi-level models enhances the public health impact of physical activity interventions.