TY - JOUR AU - Evans, R AU - Hume, D AU - Noorbhai, M AU - Rauch, HG AU - van der Schyff, N AU - Lambert, E PY - 2017/11/06 Y2 - 2024/03/28 TI - A 12-week primary prevention programme and its effect on health outcomes (the Sweet Hearts biokinetics pilot study) JF - South African Journal of Sports Medicine JA - SA J Sports Med VL - 29 IS - 1 SE - Articles DO - 10.17159/2078-516X/2017/V29I0A1346 UR - https://journals.assaf.org.za/index.php/sajsm/article/view/3438 SP - 1-6 AB - <div class="page" title="Page 1"><div class="section"><div class="layoutArea"><div class="column"><p><span>Background: </span><span>The prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and physical inactivity are concerning within the South African population. To address these concerns, the </span><span>‘Strategic Plan for Prevention and Control of NCDs 2013</span><span>-</span><span>2017’ </span><span>was developed. In response to this plan, a 12-week pilot biokinetics community health programme, </span><span>Sweet Hearts</span><span>, was initiated. </span></p><p><span>Methods: </span><span>This study is a prospective pilot study evaluating the feasibility and effectiveness of the intervention. Twenty- five individuals participated in the intervention. Ten participants performed a battery of physiological tests pre and post intervention and 5 participants completed an email-based survey post intervention. The setting of the study was Tramway Football Club, Southfield, Cape Town, South Africa. The </span><span>Sweet Hearts </span><span>intervention was designed to promote physical activity and healthy nutritional habits in those who participated. A total of 27 exercise sessions consisting of cardiovascular, resistance and flexibility training were conducted. Brief-behavioural counselling was integrated into exercise sessions. </span></p><p><span>Results: </span><span>The intervention group had a high attrition rate with &gt;50% of participants not presenting for post-intervention testing. Results were evident despite a limited sample size. There were significant improvements in health outcome measures among participants who did attend all testing sessions. These improvements included: an increase in Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) score (</span><span>p </span><span>= 0.03), 12- minute walk distance (</span><span>p </span><span>= 0.01), sit-to-stand test repetitions (</span><span>p </span><span>= 0.001), and a decrease in waist circumference (</span><span>p </span><span>= 0.01). Improvements were also noted in self-reported eating restraint (</span><span>p </span><span>= 0.03). Five main themes were structured into post intervention surveys: 1) enjoyment of the intervention, 2) benefits of the intervention, 3) obstacles affecting adherence, 4) future improvements to the intervention, and 5) state of non-communicable diseases in South Africa. </span></p><p><span>Conclusion: </span><span>The results of the </span><span>Sweet Hearts </span><span>intervention demonstrate the difficulty and importance of maintaining adherence to a community health intervention. The favourable results of the small sample size demonstrate the potential benefit of biokinetics-based programmes in the public health sector; and provide proof of concept for the dedication of resources towards health promotion within a community setting. </span></p></div></div></div></div> ER -