Community partnerships to understand and improve movement behaviours

Participation in physical activity provides people with many health benefits. Despite work to improve population physical activity levels, most people do not participate in enough physical activity to get these health benefits. Physical literacy examines the many factors that contribute to physical activity behaviour (motivation, confidence, physical skills, knowledge, and understanding) using an individual lens, and can be captured within the larger contexts that influence movement behaviours. This individual lens is a useful tool to develop and assess strategies to support equitable access to physical activity. I will develop a rich understanding of the interplay between physical literacy and physical activity, using a community-informed approach to improve our understanding of access to and participation in physical activity for equity deserving populations. In partnership with community groups, I will co-develop understanding of the barriers and facilitators to physical activity, and strategies to support increased movement. This research will inform policy change to create physical activity programs that are relevant and engage communities and support population level participation in health promoting movement.