Health Promotion Interventions Targeting Men's Physical Activity

Men remain less likely than women to engage with traditional health promotion programmes despite bearing a disproportionate burden of inactivity-related illness. Recent research has demonstrated that interventions tailored to male identities, interests and social norms can markedly increase physical activity and sustain healthier lifestyles. Common strategies include the use of professional sport settings, gender-sensitised content and delivery styles, wearable self-monitoring devices and group support that emphasises camaraderie among “men like me.” These interventions draw on established behaviour change techniques—such as goal setting, feedback and social reinforcement—and often embed them within contexts that resonate with masculine ideals, whether through football or rugby club affiliations, workplace challenges or technology-driven platforms. Such approaches have yielded improvements in step counts, cardiorespiratory fitness, weight management and psychosocial well-being. Beyond individual outcomes, scalable models now under investigation promise to address health inequalities by reaching men across a range of socioeconomic and cultural groups. Ongoing efforts focus on enhancing long-term maintenance of activity, refining digital tools for self-monitoring and integrating behaviour change theories more deeply into programme design.

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Health Promotion Interventions Targeting Men's Physical Activity publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in health promotion interventions targeting men's physical activity across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Gender-sensitised intervention: A programme designed to align with men’s cultural norms, interests and communication styles to enhance engagement and effectiveness.

Behaviour change technique: A discrete component of an intervention (such as goal setting or self-monitoring) aimed at altering behavioural determinants to achieve desired health outcomes.

Self-monitoring: The practice of tracking one’s own behaviour or outcomes (for example, using a pedometer or mobile app) to increase awareness and reinforce progress toward goals.

Sedentary behaviour: Any waking activity characterised by low energy expenditure while sitting or reclining; reducing sedentary time is a target for improving overall health.

References

1. Rugby Fans in Training New Zealand (RUFIT NZ): a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of a healthy lifestyle program for overweight men delivered through professional rugby clubs. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (2023).
2. How European Fans in Training (EuroFIT), a lifestyle change program for men delivered in football clubs, achieved its effect: a mixed methods process evaluation embedded in a randomised controlled trial. BMC Public Health (2023).
3. Effectiveness of Adult Health Promotion Interventions Delivered Through Professional Sport: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Medicine (2022).