Aussie Fans in Training (Aussie-FIT): a Footy-Themed Men’s Weight Loss and Physical Activity Program in Regional Australia

BRIEF NAME: Regional Implementation of the Aussie-Fans in Training (Aussie-FIT) Program WHY: Men are more likely to be living with overweight or obesity than women in Australia, but less likely to access interventions to help them manage their weight. Aussie-FIT is based on an existing, successful, evidence-based program developed in Scotland (Football Fans in Training; FFIT). The original FFIT program was developed by a team of experts in obesity, physical activity, community-based programs, gender and health, and men’s weight management programs. FFIT was adapted for the Australian context and piloted in Australian Football League settings (ACTRN12617000515392). Aussie-FIT is informed by the literature on men’s preferences for weight management interventions, such as allowing autonomy over dietary intake, a physical activity component, and humour and social support. The program embeds behaviour change techniques (e.g., self-monitoring, goal setting and feedback on behaviours) and activities designed to facilitate psychological need satisfaction for autonomy, competence, and relatedness in relation to physical activity and eating behaviours. The gender-tailored Aussie-FIT program was appealing to men and demonstrated potential in supporting weight reduction and improving health behaviours in a pilot trial in Metropolitan areas (ACTRN12617000515392). However, Aussie-FIT, and other men’s behavioural weight management programs tend to recruit men from urban areas and higher socioeconomic circumstances. WHAT: Materials - Men participating will receive: a wrist worn physical activity monitor, an Aussie-FIT team shirt, and a participant workbook with educational content covered in the sessions. Coaches will receive a detailed program session delivery guide and various educational resources to support session deliveries. The Aussie-FIT participant workbook and coach session delivery guide have previously been used to deliver the Aussie-FIT program piloted in Perth (ACTRN12617000515392), with some minor adaptations made to the current version for delivery in regional contexts. The participant workbook and coach session delivery guide were developed (and educational materials sourced), using resources available from: i) Football Fans in Training program, www.ffit.org.uk; Heart Foundation Australia, www.heartfoundation.org.au; LiveLighter® campaign, www.livelighter.com.au; Australian Government Department of Health, National Health and Medical Research Council, www.eatforhealth.gov.au; Alcohol Think Again, www.alcoholthinkagain.com.au; and Cancer Council WA, www.cancerwa.asn.au. Procedures - Aussie-FIT is an Australian Football themed health promotion program for men aged 35-65 living with overweight or obesity. Participants attend group sessions which incorporate physical activity, and workshop style education. The education covers principles of healthy eating, behaviour change techniques and motivational principles. Each session covers a different topic (e.g., alcohol intake, food labels and goal setting). The physical activity components of sessions are not prescriptive and are tailored by the coaches to suit participants capabilities. Some examples include a group walk around the oval hand-passing the football around, aerobic circuit activities and small-sided AFL games. WHO PROVIDES: Coaches will be recruited from the local community to facilitate the Aussie-FIT program deliveries in regional areas. Coaches will ideally be enthusiastic individuals that live locally, have a knowledge of Australian football, have some experience of a leadership role in a physical activity setting (e.g., coach, exercise instructor, teacher), good communication skills and the ability to help foster a supportive atmosphere with camaraderie between participants. Coaches will be trained by the research team in the core program content (physical activity and nutrition), and in the use of principles of motivation and behaviour change. Coach training will be approximately 15 hours of face-to-face delivery and will include opportunities to practice session deliveries and receive feedback from the research team and their peers. Coach training will be undertaken within the 2 months prior to coaches delivering the program for the first time. HOW: The intervention will be delivered face-to-face with groups of approximately 15 men. WHERE: The program will be delivered in venues with an indoor space for the educational component and an Australian football oval for the physical activity component of the sessions. WHEN and HOW MUCH: Participants will attend twelve, weekly, 90-minute-long sessions. Aussie-FIT encourages a gradual increase in moderate to vigorous physical activity levels outside of the weekly sessions. TAILORING: The program is not prescriptive in terms of activity and dietary changes the men make outside of the weekly sessions over the 12 weeks. Men are supported to make their own choices regarding changes to their diet and PA behaviours. Personalised feedback on the goals men set is provided from coaches on a week-by-week basis. Targeted areas for goal setting include portion control, reduction of sugary drinks and energy dense foods, reduction in alcohol consumption and a gradual increase in moderate physical activity (Rate of Perceived Exertion 4-5: raises heartbeat and makes you breathe a bit faster than normal, whilst still being able to talk). HOW WELL: Planned – Post-intervention coach interviews will explore barriers and facilitators to delivering the program with fidelity. Attendance at the program sessions will be monitored, but adherence to the self-directed components (e.g., physical activity goals) of the program will not be assessed.