Evaluating Interactions Between National and Subnational Governments in the Czech Republic for Physical Activity...

Most countries now have physical activity (PA) policies but translating them into action at national and subnational levels remains poor. To better understand the disconnect, the "Interaction between National and Local Government Levels in Development and Implementation of Physical Activity Policies Tool" (INTEGRATE-PA-Pol) was developed by the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!).

The Czech Republic was chosen as a European pilot site based on existing research capacity and relationships. The INTEGRATE-PA-Pol tool was translated and adapted for use in the country. This questionnaire-based tool has 8 components assessing government levels, political system, and sectors across the 5 stages of the PA policy process. Key informants were from the health, sport, and recreation sectors at the national, regional (Olomouc Region), and municipal (Olomouc City) levels of government. Data was collected via online surveys.

PA policy documents and budgets were identified at all levels, but implementation of policy and programs was noted to be limited. In 10 of the 12 interaction categories, the roles of other government levels in PA policy were rated as low. A wide range of populations, settings, and sectors were identified as important for PA promotion across the 3 levels of government, with notable variability.

This pilot study suggests that PA policy in the Czech Republic is well developed, despite gaps in sector engagement, and inconsistent prioritization of populations and settings. Even with budget allocated, PA policy implementation remains challenging, probably in part due to poor articulation between national and subnational governments.