Lifelong Physical AcTivity TArgeting INequalities (ATTAIN): A Transformative Network for Healthy Ageing
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Science
Abstract
Why is research in physical activity and inequality important for healthy ageing?
Average age in the UK population is continually increasing. Although we are living longer, many older individuals spend a large proportion of their later years in poor health and quality of life, which becomes more apparent in the poorest sectors of our society and minority ethnic communities. Physical activity is essential for healthy ageing, but evidence to support the health benefits of physical activity in socially deprived and ethnic minority groups, and the factors that prevent these communities from participating in physical activity, has been relatively overlooked. As a result, our capacity to develop effective and attainable physical activity interventions with the potential to extend healthy life expectancy in communities who experience health inequalities is limited.
What will we do?
Research, including at the University of Birmingham, clearly shows an urgent need for research to understand the health benefits of physical activity in poorer and minority ethnic communities and the barriers that these populations need to overcome to participate and adhere to physically active living. This proposal is for a research network that brings together people with different knowledge and backgrounds, to work together on this challenge and encourage physical activity research that targets health inequality.
What will this network look like?
The network will bring together researchers; academics from health, psycho-social, environmental sciences and beyond, with relevant healthcare professionals; policy makers; and voluntary sector organisations. Those who experience of health inequality will be at the heart of our network as leaders, partners and advisors. Network steer will be guided by an Expert Advisory Group and stakeholder representatives.
What is the network's main aim?
The network will address the central question:
How can we better understand the health benefits of physical activity in socially deprived and minority ethnic communities and overcome the challenges they face and improve their access to physically active living, so that they are able to spend more years in good health?
Our network will focus on two main themes:
1. Understanding the health benefits of physical activity in diverse and deprived UK communities by integrating molecular, cellular and population-level research approaches.
2. Identifying physical, environmental, cultural and psycho-social barriers to physical activity in diverse and deprived UK communities and solutions to ensure effectiveness and equity in physically active living in these populations.
How will this be done?
The network will:
- Fund and support small research projects in these areas, laying the groundwork for vital larger scale collaborations in this area.
- Undertake a range of activities including seminars, workshops, knowledge exchange events, interdisciplinary sandpits and writing retreats to bring people together across disciplines and sectors, increase interdisciplinary understanding, and foster two-way engagement and feedback amongst researchers and stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of the project.
- Foster the next generation of research scientists through access to funds for internships and other training and engagement opportunities.
- Run a dedicated website and engage audiences via social media to enable access and engagement with research and project findings throughout the lifecycle of the network and beyond.
Our vision is to see our network benefit socially deprived and ethnic minority commnunities, and influence policy makers and government bodies such as the Department of Health and Public Health England. We will do this by working closely with key organisations and communicating openly with all those who can make a difference to the wellbeing of our target communities to ensure our work has an impact locally, nationally and internationally.
Average age in the UK population is continually increasing. Although we are living longer, many older individuals spend a large proportion of their later years in poor health and quality of life, which becomes more apparent in the poorest sectors of our society and minority ethnic communities. Physical activity is essential for healthy ageing, but evidence to support the health benefits of physical activity in socially deprived and ethnic minority groups, and the factors that prevent these communities from participating in physical activity, has been relatively overlooked. As a result, our capacity to develop effective and attainable physical activity interventions with the potential to extend healthy life expectancy in communities who experience health inequalities is limited.
What will we do?
Research, including at the University of Birmingham, clearly shows an urgent need for research to understand the health benefits of physical activity in poorer and minority ethnic communities and the barriers that these populations need to overcome to participate and adhere to physically active living. This proposal is for a research network that brings together people with different knowledge and backgrounds, to work together on this challenge and encourage physical activity research that targets health inequality.
What will this network look like?
The network will bring together researchers; academics from health, psycho-social, environmental sciences and beyond, with relevant healthcare professionals; policy makers; and voluntary sector organisations. Those who experience of health inequality will be at the heart of our network as leaders, partners and advisors. Network steer will be guided by an Expert Advisory Group and stakeholder representatives.
What is the network's main aim?
The network will address the central question:
How can we better understand the health benefits of physical activity in socially deprived and minority ethnic communities and overcome the challenges they face and improve their access to physically active living, so that they are able to spend more years in good health?
Our network will focus on two main themes:
1. Understanding the health benefits of physical activity in diverse and deprived UK communities by integrating molecular, cellular and population-level research approaches.
2. Identifying physical, environmental, cultural and psycho-social barriers to physical activity in diverse and deprived UK communities and solutions to ensure effectiveness and equity in physically active living in these populations.
How will this be done?
The network will:
- Fund and support small research projects in these areas, laying the groundwork for vital larger scale collaborations in this area.
- Undertake a range of activities including seminars, workshops, knowledge exchange events, interdisciplinary sandpits and writing retreats to bring people together across disciplines and sectors, increase interdisciplinary understanding, and foster two-way engagement and feedback amongst researchers and stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of the project.
- Foster the next generation of research scientists through access to funds for internships and other training and engagement opportunities.
- Run a dedicated website and engage audiences via social media to enable access and engagement with research and project findings throughout the lifecycle of the network and beyond.
Our vision is to see our network benefit socially deprived and ethnic minority commnunities, and influence policy makers and government bodies such as the Department of Health and Public Health England. We will do this by working closely with key organisations and communicating openly with all those who can make a difference to the wellbeing of our target communities to ensure our work has an impact locally, nationally and internationally.
Technical Summary
Across two themes; i) Holistic health benefits of physical activity and ii) Barriers to physical activity, we aim to link across disciplines to develop research that can impact on the lives of those who experience healthy inequalities and improve policy around healthspan and quality of life in old age. Through the development and synthesis of innovative approaches, new understandings will then be applied to the following objectives:
- To strengthen capacity and capability for interdisciplinary research innovation with new national partners in order to address healthy life expectancy in communities who experience health inequality.
- To generate transformative frameworks (molecule to population-level approach) to capture how chronological ageing, multi-morbidity, cultural, environmental and psycho-social factors interact and impact on the holistic health benefits of physical activity across the life course.
- To conceptualize radical solutions that will transform thinking on how to address the physical, environmental and psycho-social barriers to physically active living, with specific focus on the socially deprived and minority ethnic communities in our society.
- To work with target communities to develop a novel paradigm of advocacy and co-production to help bring about transformational change in terms of effective and accessible physical activity. This will include building their capacity to influence and participate in research and the development of policy and practice.
To achieve these objectives, the Network will operate with a national and international reach. Network activities will include a dedicated website and social media, Workshop and Knowledge Exchange Events, Engagement Fellowships, Interdisciplinary Sandpit, Small Grant Funding, Writing Retreats (virtual) and a community-focused closing Event. External Advisory/Stakeholder Groups will provide steer to the core Network Team to ensure these objectives are realised.
- To strengthen capacity and capability for interdisciplinary research innovation with new national partners in order to address healthy life expectancy in communities who experience health inequality.
- To generate transformative frameworks (molecule to population-level approach) to capture how chronological ageing, multi-morbidity, cultural, environmental and psycho-social factors interact and impact on the holistic health benefits of physical activity across the life course.
- To conceptualize radical solutions that will transform thinking on how to address the physical, environmental and psycho-social barriers to physically active living, with specific focus on the socially deprived and minority ethnic communities in our society.
- To work with target communities to develop a novel paradigm of advocacy and co-production to help bring about transformational change in terms of effective and accessible physical activity. This will include building their capacity to influence and participate in research and the development of policy and practice.
To achieve these objectives, the Network will operate with a national and international reach. Network activities will include a dedicated website and social media, Workshop and Knowledge Exchange Events, Engagement Fellowships, Interdisciplinary Sandpit, Small Grant Funding, Writing Retreats (virtual) and a community-focused closing Event. External Advisory/Stakeholder Groups will provide steer to the core Network Team to ensure these objectives are realised.
Organisations
- University of Birmingham (Lead Research Organisation)
- Medical Research Council (Co-funder)
- Cardiff Metropolitan University (Collaboration)
- The Abbeyfield Research Foundation (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Move It or Lose It (Collaboration)
- SHEFFIELD HALLAM UNIVERSITY (Collaboration)
- National Institute for Health Research (Collaboration)
- The Dunhill Medical Trust (Collaboration)
- McMaster University (Collaboration)
- UK Active (Collaboration)
- Medical Research Council (MRC) (Collaboration)
- University of Bristol (Collaboration)
Description | ATTAIN Core Team |
Organisation | Cardiff Metropolitan University |
Department | Cardiff School of Sport |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | ATTAIN co-leads steer all network activities, including chairing meetings and liaising with strategic partners. ATTAIN coordinator facilitates monthly core team meetings, distributes meeting minutes, and updates a Teams channel to keep all core team members informed and engaged. |
Collaborator Contribution | Providing input and expertise from our core team to support the objectives of our key strategic partners and wider network members has become a key short-term deliverable. For example, we are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). Academic outreach through the institutes and centres to which our core team are affiliated, that have a considerable reach to UK and wider global communities of academics, ECR's practitioners and those involved in policy development and PPI/E representatives. The core team attends all knowledge exchange events, meet with PPI group every 2-months, and contributes to the formation of ECR network. |
Impact | The core team widens network reach to identify strategic partners and was crucial in building our external advisory group. Colleagues from Cardiff Met, Sheffield Hallam, and University of Glasgow provide input for network events, reports, newsletters, funding calls, and all other network activity. The core team is multidisciplinary with academics specialisng in social and public health, physiology, physical activity, and community health. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | ATTAIN Core Team |
Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
Department | MRC Social & Public Health Sciences Unit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | ATTAIN co-leads steer all network activities, including chairing meetings and liaising with strategic partners. ATTAIN coordinator facilitates monthly core team meetings, distributes meeting minutes, and updates a Teams channel to keep all core team members informed and engaged. |
Collaborator Contribution | Providing input and expertise from our core team to support the objectives of our key strategic partners and wider network members has become a key short-term deliverable. For example, we are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). Academic outreach through the institutes and centres to which our core team are affiliated, that have a considerable reach to UK and wider global communities of academics, ECR's practitioners and those involved in policy development and PPI/E representatives. The core team attends all knowledge exchange events, meet with PPI group every 2-months, and contributes to the formation of ECR network. |
Impact | The core team widens network reach to identify strategic partners and was crucial in building our external advisory group. Colleagues from Cardiff Met, Sheffield Hallam, and University of Glasgow provide input for network events, reports, newsletters, funding calls, and all other network activity. The core team is multidisciplinary with academics specialisng in social and public health, physiology, physical activity, and community health. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | ATTAIN Core Team |
Organisation | Sheffield Hallam University |
Department | Sport and Exercise Science |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | ATTAIN co-leads steer all network activities, including chairing meetings and liaising with strategic partners. ATTAIN coordinator facilitates monthly core team meetings, distributes meeting minutes, and updates a Teams channel to keep all core team members informed and engaged. |
Collaborator Contribution | Providing input and expertise from our core team to support the objectives of our key strategic partners and wider network members has become a key short-term deliverable. For example, we are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). Academic outreach through the institutes and centres to which our core team are affiliated, that have a considerable reach to UK and wider global communities of academics, ECR's practitioners and those involved in policy development and PPI/E representatives. The core team attends all knowledge exchange events, meet with PPI group every 2-months, and contributes to the formation of ECR network. |
Impact | The core team widens network reach to identify strategic partners and was crucial in building our external advisory group. Colleagues from Cardiff Met, Sheffield Hallam, and University of Glasgow provide input for network events, reports, newsletters, funding calls, and all other network activity. The core team is multidisciplinary with academics specialisng in social and public health, physiology, physical activity, and community health. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | McMaster University |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | Move it or Lose It |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Department | NIHR Biomedical Research Centre |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Public |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | The Abbeyfield Research Foundation |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | The Dunhill Medical Trust |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | UK Active |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Private |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | University of Bristol |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | External Advisory Group |
Organisation | University of Nottingham |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Identifying individuals and organisations to invite to sit on EAG panel. Facilitating external advisory group meetings and keeping EAG members informed about activities and opportunities. Connecting EAG members when opportunities for collaboration arise. |
Collaborator Contribution | Anita Shervington (Community Perspectives) gave a presentation to attendees of our Active Ageing for All event. Our EAG provides expertise and perspectives from community and industry at events. |
Impact | We are providing research expertise to non-academic partners to improve their service provision (e.g., data analysis and dissemination work with Move It or Lose It). We are exploring furthering network reach as strategic partners with UK Active (e.g. blog posts, newsletter items, presence at events). |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | McMaster University (BIRMAC fund) |
Organisation | McMaster University |
Country | Canada |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Two Birmingham delegates to travel to McMaster University Activities to include: 1) research ideation workshop, 2) grant writing retreat and 3) trainee networking session. 4 |
Collaborator Contribution | Five McMaster delegates to travel to Birmingham University Activities to include: 1) academic lectures, 2) public lecture, 3) research and knowledge exchange workshop and 4) graduate/post-graduate/early career researchers networking session |
Impact | The Tale of Two Cities project brings together academic and non-academic stakeholders in Birmingham and Hamilton, Ontario to address challenges created by two global demographic mega-trends: population ageing and urbanization. The collaboration between the two Universities has led to acquiring 10k in funding for knowledge exchange activities from BIRMAC fund. The anticipated shared outcomes are manifold and wide-ranging: i) Novel programmes and strategies for creating and evaluating age-friendly urban environments ii) Novel programmes for supporting engagement in PA for healthy ageing iii) Significant research income for the two universities when developed funding bids are successful iv) International dissemination of findings /potential for global reach and impact (e.g., via World Health Organisation) v) Capacity building in research methods and intervention strategies in the graduate/postgraduate/Early career researcher communities of the two universities. Researchers, academic and non-academic stakeholders at Birmingham and McMaster Universities will use the BIRMAC funding to build bridges and leverage synergies to establish a common research programme addressing the significant challenges created by population ageing and urbanization. |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | ATTAIN Newsletter |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Dedicated ATTAIN newsletter, informed by our PPI group - currently with 60 active subscribers. One edition was released in September 2022 and one in February 2023. The newsletter has informed our network members about upcoming events and collaborations with which they can become involved. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022,2023 |
Description | ATTAIN website and twitter profile |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Launched dedicated website (https://www.attainnetwork.org.uk/) with 384 users from across 10 countries since launch in August 2022. Launched twitter account with 26,000+ impressions since June 2022. This activity helped spread the word about our newsletter and ECR engagement funding. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
URL | https://www.attainnetwork.org.uk/ |
Description | Active Ageing for All Workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
Results and Impact | There was a selection of brief talks throughout the day from leading experts and key stakeholders. Attendees were actively involved in a range of networking and engagement activities throughout the day. Together we gathered the necessary cross-disciplinary insights to forward the ATTAIN agenda and deliver local and UK-wide solutions to support people living in underrepresented communities to adopt more active lifestyles. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Symposium presentation to British Geriatrics Society annual conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Symposium presentation to British Geriatrics Society annual conference - topic of age-related musce deterioration with obesity and inactivity. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |