Update of the National Physical Activity Guidelines for Ireland - Final Research Report

This project aimed to update the National Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for Ireland. The previous guidelines for Ireland were published by the Department of Health & Children in 2009. Subsequently, the World Health Organisation published two iterations of global physical activity guidelines: The Global Recommendations on Physical Activity for Health in 2010, followed by the updated Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour in 2020. The World Health Organisation encourages national governments to adopt these guidelines as part of their national policy frameworks, thus providing a “rapid and cost-effective method to develop guidelines tailored to local context”. The current project drew upon these guidelines and the evidence reviews underpinning them to develop national guidelines for the following population subgroups: children under 5 years of age, children and adolescents (5 – 17 years), adults (18 – 64 years), older adults (age 65 years and older), children and adolescents (aged 5 – 17 years) and adults (aged 18 years and older) living with disability. In addition, the current project also sought to develop physical activity messages - educational or persuasive material based on the guidelines - for both public and professional audiences. The research was conducted over a three-stage process. Firstly, a review of evidence published since the Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary (WHO 2020) was conducted. Subsequently draft guidelines and messages were developed, and public and professional perceptions of this content were gathered by consultation surveys. Finally, a consensus meeting was held with national level stakeholders with a role in the promotion of physical activity in Ireland to gain feedback on key issues arising from the consultation surveys.

Findings from stage one suggested that there was limited evidence published since 2019 and none that would warrant deviation from the recommendations in the Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour for most population subgroups (WHO 2020). An exception was the guidelines for children with disability, given the rapid evidence review conducted in the UK for the Chief Medical Officers’ update of the physical activity guidelines in 2022 (Smith et al. 2022b). The research team developed lay versions of the guidelines and a suite of persuasive messages targeted at public and professional audiences. An online survey, distributed via social media platforms and through key professional organisations, was used to gather the perceptions of the public and professional audiences to both the guidelines and the messages. There was a high level of agreement amongst 215 respondents of the public survey that the lay versions of the physical activity guidelines were clear and relevant to all population groups. There was also a high level of agreement among members of the public that the persuasive messages were motivating and appealing. Data collected from 187 professionals and practitioners with a role in physical activity promotion suggested the physical activity guidelines were important and frequently used in their professional roles. Findings from the professionals and practitioners also suggested that the physical activity and sedentary behaviour guidelines were clear and understandable. The consensus meeting provided further valuable insights into the preferred physical activity messages, how best to describe physical activity intensity, guidelines for children with disability, the content of the guidelines publication. The research team collaborated with the Health Service Executive Healthy Eating and Active Living Team in reaching consensus on the final version of guidelines and messages.

The finalised guidelines are an adapted version of the World Health Organisation’s 2020 Guidelines on Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour. The guidelines are accompanied with a suite of lay guidelines and persuasive messages for public audiences developed specifically for this project. Messages for professional audiences, tailored for range of sectors, are also included. Future work should develop a dissemination plan to ensure wide reach of guidelines and messages throughout Ireland.