Research project: MOTH Project 3: Service evaluation of exercise referral schemes (Southampton (Falls) & Winchester (Stroke) schemes)
Physical activity is important for the prevention and management of many long-term conditions. However, reports by Public Health England suggest that adults in the UK are not active enough. ERSs aim to support people who have a health condition or are at risk of developing a condition, to be more active through planned group-based activities. While there is some evidence to support the effectiveness of such schemes further evidence is required. There is also considerable variability in the specific outcome measures used for evaluation of ERSs. This project, which is part of the Maintenance Of Physical AcTivity BeHaviour (MOTH) programme, has established a core set of measures and methods for evaluation. These measures are being used to evaluate local ERSs and will be updated as more schemes are evaluated. It is also an aim to obtain a critical mass of data to determine the overall effectiveness of ERSs using these measures.
