The Role of Sport and Physical Activity in Population Health and Wellbeing

Dear Colleagues,

The positive health and wellbeing benefits of participating regularly in all forms of physical activity are well documented.  Regular participation can prevent and manage physical and mental chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, many cancers, and enhance wellbeing. People can engage in physical activity in numerous ways, including participation in organised and structured activities such as sport and recreation, with additional benefits including improved community and social cohesion, leadership skills and confidence. Increased population physical activity directly contributes to achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals including gender equity, good health and wellbeing, with sport being often a vehicle for education, development and peace. Despite these vast benefits, too few people globally are sufficently active to achieve such benefits, and inequalities in physical activity and sport participation are clear.

Increasing population physical activity levels is complex and requires a comprehensive and systematic approach that accounts for the myriad of factors across individual, social, community, environmental and political contexts.

We invite researchers to contribute novel, innovative and impactful original research papers to this Special Issue on physical activity, sport and population health. In particular, we welcome contributions from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), First Nations, Indigenous and culturally and linguistically diverse populations, on the evaluation of policy and advocacy responses to increase physical activity and sport participation across different sectors, including recommendations and guidelines for physical activity and 24-hour movement. Research exploring the contribution and impact of the sport and recreation sector on global health and wellbeing is also welcomed.    

Dr. Rona Macniven
Dr. Lindsey Reece
Guest Editors

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