Community Innovations in Physical Activity for Girls and Women: A Scoping Review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.69665/iss.v48i1S.184Keywords:
physical activity, gender equality, community-led programmes, cultural responsiveness, local knowledgeAbstract
Community-led programmes are increasingly recognised as effective approaches to promote physical activity among women and girls. Evidence on how these programmes are informed by cultural context and local knowledge remains fragmented. This scoping review aimed to identify and synthesise evidence on community-led physical activity programmes for women and girls that are culturally grounded and embedded within community settings. We conducted the review in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and Arksey and O’Malley framework. The findings were reported using the PRISMA-ScR guidelines. The literature search included Web of Science, Scopus, PubMed, and CINAHL, covering studies from database inception to August 2025, and was supplemented by a forward citation search. We included peer-reviewed articles on community-led physical activity programmes targeting women and girls across their lifespan. Eight studies were included, mapped, and thematically synthesised, yielding three models of community-led programmes, differentiated by programme design and community engagement characteristics. Our findings highlight that varying levels of community involvement can be effective depending on the context, with culturally grounded and gender-sensitive approaches demonstrating the potential to enhance participation, social inclusion, and local ownership. These findings underscore the importance of culturally informed and community-responsive designs in physical activity initiatives for women and girls.
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