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Purpose: To estimate program effectiveness regarding physical activity (PA), diet, and social connectedness as part of a feasibility study. Design: Pre-post quasi-experimental. Setting: HAT TRICK was delivered in collaboration with a Canadian semi-professional ice hockey team and offered at the arena where they trained and played games. Participants: Participants (N = 62) at baseline were overweight (BMI >25kg/m2) and inactive (<150 minutes of MVPA/week) men age 35+ years. Intervention: Gender-sensitized 12-week intervention for men targeting PA, healthy eating and social connectedness. Method: Baseline, post-intervention (12 weeks) and 9-month follow-up self-report and accelerometer data were collected. Multi-level modeling assessed growth trajectories of outcome measures across time. Results: Accelerometer measured weekly/min. of moderate PA showed significant linear trends (95%CI: 42.9 – 175.3) from baseline (147.0 ± 104.6), 12-week (237.7 ± 135.5) and 9-month follow-up (204.89 ± 137.7) qualified with a quadratic trend. Self-reported weekly/min of moderate and vigorous PA showed significant linear trends (95%CI: 94.1, 264.1; 95%CI: 35.1, 109.6) from baseline (52.6 ± 83.8, 22.42 ± 44.9), 12 week (160.1 ± 157.4, 66.6 ± 74.4) and 9-month follow-up (118.6 ± 104.6, 52.2 ± 59.2) qualified with quadratic trends. DINE measured fat score rating showed linear trends over time (95%CI -14.24, -6.8), qualified with a quadratic trend. DINE fibre score and social connectedness showed no trends. Conclusion: Findings yield valuable information about the implementation of gender-sensitized lifestyle interventions for men and demonstrate the importance of male-specific strategies for reaching and engaging overweight, physically inactive men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses Australia's Women’s Active Living Kits (WALK) Community Grant Scheme, which is a federally-funded initiative for the promotion and engagement of women's groups in health-related physical activity. Topics include an overview of WALK, which provided small grants to support the development of women's walking groups, the challenges and barriers throughout the grant program process, and insights for replicating the initiative.

Masculinities and culture are intertwined and have significant implications for men's mental health. This study aimed to explore influences of Australian masculinities and culture on men's mental health. Five focus groups were conducted with men (N = 43) living in New South Wales, Australia. Three overarching themes were identified: (1) a history of strength and self-reliance: taketh as we are, she'll be right, (2) social and geographical divides: surrounded by men but never actually connecting, and (3) male socialisation and generational dissidence: not getting the wisdom from the men that have gone before me. Participants' perspectives and experiences offer a reference point and lens for understanding challenges and enhancing efforts to promote Australian men's mental health. Gender transformative program strategies are proposed to promote men's mental health and help-seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there has been an increase in the availability of effective, evidence-based physical activity interventions in school settings during the past decade, there is a paucity of published research focusing on the translation of these effective interventions into real-world practice. The purpose of this research was to examine the translatability of an existing school-based physical activity intervention. More specifically, this research sought to identify the barriers and facilitators in adopting, implementing, and maintaining a school-based physical activity intervention using RE-AIM as a theoretical evaluation framework. It was concluded that interventions that consider issues around complexity and compatibility with the school setting are more likely to be adopted, implemented, and maintained. It was recommended that future evaluations of physical activity interventions should not be limited to testing internal validity, but should consider external validity and ecological aspects, relevant to increasing dissemination in real-world settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore published empirical literature in order to identify factors that facilitate or inhibit collaborative approaches for health promotion using a scoping review methodology.Data Source: A comprehensive search of MEDLINE, CINAHL, ScienceDirect, PsycINFO, and Academic Search Complete for articles published between January 2001 and October 2015 was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines.Study Inclusion and Exclusion Criteria: To be included studies had to: be an original research article, published in English, involve at least 2 organizations in a health promotion partnership, and identify factors contributing to or constraining the success of an established (or prior) partnership. Studies were excluded if they focused on primary care collaboration or organizations jointly lobbying for a cause.Data Extraction: Data extraction was completed by 2 members of the author team using a summary chart to extract information relevant to the factors that facilitated or constrained collaboration success.Data Synthesis: NVivo 10 was used to code article content into the thematic categories identified in the data extraction.Results: Twenty-five studies across 8 countries were identified. Several key factors contributed to collaborative effectiveness, including a shared vision, leadership, member characteristics, organizational commitment, available resources, clear roles/responsibilities, trust/clear communication, and engagement of the target population.Conclusion: In general, the findings were consistent with previous reviews; however, additional novel themes did emerge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]