Intervention Mapping as a method for planning health promotion programs in school from a sport pedagogical view

Abstract

The behaviour of children has become – as several surveys tell us (e.g. the KiGGs-survey in Germany) – more and more unhealthy. So the question of an intervention arises that can change this unhealthy behaviour into a healthy one. From a sport pedagogical view the intervention in question should involve physical activity in hope for establishing a habitus of a positive attitude to sports and/or physical activities. The place or institution of that intervention could primary be school, because school is the place where children spend a huge amount of their (daily) time. Looking for a valid and theory-based method for planning such an intervention, the Intervention Mapping method by Bartholomew, Parcel, Kok & Gottlieb (2006) cannot be overseen due to a scientific framework. Originally this approach comes from the field of workplace or worksite health promotion, but can easily und gainfully be adopted within school processes. By gearing to the six steps of the Intervention Mapping process (1. Needs Assessment; 2. Matrices; 3. Theory-Based Methods and Practical Strategies; 4. Program; 5. Adoption and Implementation Plan; 6. Evaluation Plan) one can relatively easily plan a specific health promotion program for school. To illustrate the tool of Intervention Mapping a short and brief example is given. Therefore an intervention for a primary school in Germany is designed with the intention to decrease the amount of physical activity of overweight elementary school pupils, which should outline a fruitful linkage of the Intervention Mapping method to school settings.