Shaping Policy and Practice: Analyzing the Reach of Highly Cited and High Altmetrics Publications for Broader Impact on Physical Activity

Understanding the Increases in Physical Activity Publications From 1985 to 2022: A Global Perspective

BACKGROUND

A marked increase in physical activity (PA) publications has occurred since 1985. Increased publications reflect a globalization of publications and increase the difficulty of reviewing evidence and identifying effective PA strategies.

METHODS

Review of Scopus database publications with the title or keyword "physical activity" between 1985 and 2022, examining 193,335 PA publications. The choice of search strategy was standardized across the period and maximized relevant PA papers (high sensitivity).

RESULTS

The results showed 3 clear periods for increases in PA publications; an initial increase in period 1 between 1985 and 2000, a 9-fold increase in period 2 between 2001 and 2016 (from 645/y to 5876/y), and a further increase to 15,812 publications per year in period 3 between 2017 and 2022. The primary driver of this increase was the transition from publications in traditional subscription-model journals to open-access business model journals, which comprised 80% of PA publications by period 3. Although this trend was global, some countries showed greater increases through open-access publication.

DISCUSSION

These data identify a relatively unrecognized and urgent threat to the field: An exponential increase in PA publications may influence the quality of published work and increases the difficulty of finding and applying important research findings. The shift in publication patterns is contributed to by higher acceptance rates and rapid time to publication offered in open-access journals. This represents a "commercial determinant" of publications in the PA field, influencing the type and volume of publications without consideration of their contribution to evidence or impact.

Navigating Physical Activity Promotion and Policy in the Post-COVID-19-Pandemic Era

BACKGROUND

There is limited evidence on the priorities and opportunities associated with promoting population physical activity (PA) participation for the post-COVID-19-pandemic future.

PURPOSE

This study assessed government-led PA promotion efforts before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, along with post-COVID-19-pandemic priorities and recommendations.

METHODS

Two separate cross-sectional surveys conducted in 2023. Survey 1 was targeted at the Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) Country Contacts. Survey 2 also included key international informants representing influential stakeholders in PA policy implementation.

RESULTS

There were 68 respondents to Survey 1, collectively representing 61 countries. An additional 37 people, including representatives from 14 key international stakeholders responded to Survey 2. Eighty-two percent of countries had national PA policies. COVID-19 widely disrupted PA policy implementation. Less than 40% of countries integrated PA into their COVID-19 response plan and more than 75% reported policies that restricted PA participation. Although most respondents indicated that government PA priorities did not change due to the COVID-19 pandemic, one in five countries reported that cross-sectoral partnership had become more important during this period. Less than a third of postpandemic governments reported as highly engaged despite the widespread proliferation of PA policies and plans prior to the pandemic. There were variations according to country, region, and income.

CONCLUSIONS

Elevating PA promotion on the public health agenda is crucial for the post-COVID-19-pandemic era. At a policy level, it is critical to focus on adequate resourcing, cross-sectoral partnerships, integrated interventions, and inequities in participation. These factors have become increasingly important in the postpandemic PA policy landscape.