Strategies to convince local decision-makers to put physical activity on the agenda of communities

Background and purpose: Changes in the physical environment within communities require administrative and political decisions. The process behind those decisions is fairly unknown. A crucial role could be played by persuasion strategies for decision-makers, but the necessary persuasion often occurs in an unstructured manner. The aim of this contribution is therefore to identify strategies for influencing local decision-makers to prioritize physical activity (PA) promotion on the agenda of communities.

Methods: We interviewed decision-makers from local politics and administration in German urban and rural areas to identify strategies for influencing their decisions regarding PA promotion. We conducted the analysis using qualitative content analysis. Additionally, a German nationwide online survey was undertaken, followed by descriptive analysis.

Results: We conducted n=22 interviews, and the online survey had n=415 participants. Our findings demonstrate, on the one hand, distinct strategies employed by local decision-makers to convince others on their issues, such as mobilizing the public or seeking allies. On the other hand, they provide insights for additional target groups, such as citizens, stakeholders, and researchers, to convince local decision-makers. These include, for instance, utilizing participatory formats, constructing written arguments, or presenting scientific data.

Conclusions and practical implications: To prioritize PA promotion on the agenda of communities, decision-makers need to be convinced. From a scientific perspective, it seems promising to compare the identified persuasion strategies with established theory-driven ones from planning models like Intervention Mapping. Our approach and further research can contribute to the effective planning and implementation of evidence-based multi-level interventions related to changing environmental conditions in communities. Further research is needed to better understand these environmental changes.

Funding: The EUBeKo project was funded from June 2019 until December 2022 by the Federal Ministry of Health in Germany.