Aim: To follow the need for more research and strategies to enhance the knowledge of sustainable implementation, we examined cases of community-based, multilevel physical activity-related health promotion after initial funding has ceased and aimed to identify factors that influence their sustainable implementation.
Methods: Five scientific databases (PubMed; Scopus; Ebsco Host with CINAHL, PsychInfo, and Sportdiscus; ProQuest and Web of Science) were systematically searched for relevant literature in December 2021. Three reviewers performed a title/abstract screening and independently screened the full texts of the remaining papers, followed by a quality assessment. A narrative synthesis method, including qualitative text analysis, was used to synthesise retrieved articles. As starting point, the framework of Schell et al. containing nine domains for sustainability capacity was used and new emerging themes were inductively added.
Results: The search revealed 270 potentially eligible articles out of 27,652 hits. After the systematic review process, 14 studies were included. In the synthesis, 14 factors influencing the sustainablity of community-based, multilevel physical activity-related health promotion were identified of which six are new factors compared to Schell et al. In particular, our findings bring forth a novel understanding of the importance of the factors 'Participation and Partnerships', 'Empowerment and Capacity Building' and 'Community Support'. A dynamic interplay and high connectedness between factors were visible.
Conclusion: The identified factors can help establish a better understanding of sustainability processes within whole-system approaches intervening on multiple levels in the community with the aim of systems change. They are relevant for practitioners, researchers and policy makers alike. Future research should more closely examine based on further theoretical elaboration how an interplay between the factors can promote sustainability and which interdependencies are of particular importance in facilitating sustainable and equitable change.
Keywords: community; health promotion; multilevel physical activity promotion; programme sustainability; systems change; whole-system approach.