Elaine M. Murtagh

As internationalisation becomes an ever-growing higher education priority, increased globalised collaborative research is evident (MacPhail & Lawson, 2020; Tran et al., 2023). While there is an abu...

Background: The Active School Flag (ASF) programme for second‐level schools in Ireland is a whole‐of‐school physical activity initiative involving adolescents as peer leaders. This study explores how the peer leadership of this programme influenced adolescents' skills, competencies, perceived health, and school experience. Based on situated expectancy‐value theory (SEVT), we examined how outcomes met peer leaders' expectations as this can influence motivation for their peer leader role. Methods: Data from peer leaders' focus groups and teacher interviews conducted at beginning and end of academic year were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Informed by SEVT, results were synthesized to identify how expectations compared to experience. Results: The ASF class fulfilled peer leader expectations, providing a comfortable learning environment. Navigation of implementation challenges resulted in unexpected personal growth opportunities including developing problem‐solving skills. While at the outset peer leaders expected ASF would become more recognizable among the school community, this was unfulfilled. Implications for School Health Policy, Practice, and Equity: School‐based programmes need to resource and support peer leaders when undertaking challenging tasks. School management should formally recognize peer leaders. Conclusions: SEVT extends understanding of ways to encourage and sustain peer leaders' programme involvement. This study highlights added‐value and complexities of student‐led initiatives.

In recent years, the physical literacy (PL) journeys of children and young people (CYP) have become increasingly relevant to physical activity (PA), physical education (PE) and sport settings. While research has documented understanding of PL among specific stakeholders, such as physical educators and sports coaches, no such research exists regarding the voices of CYP across the island of Ireland (Northern Ireland and Ireland). As such, expanding beyond PL specifically and explicitly, this scoping review explored CYP's perceptions of lifelong PA, including factors they believed influenced their involvement in, or avoidance of, PA, PE, and sport (domains which all contribute to PL). The review examined 29 qualitative research studies conducted across the island of Ireland. Thematic analysis of the data led to the construction of the following five key themes in relation to lifelong PA as part of one's PL journey: (i) providing choice, (ii) fun, (iii) social influences, (iv) competition, and (v) barriers to positive PL experiences. Drawing on the insights generated by this study, we propose targeted PL promotion strategies that resonate with CYP in Ireland and Northern Ireland, with the goal of fostering their holistic PL development, and supporting sustained lifelong engagement in PA.

Physical literacy has become a central concept in supporting lifelong participation in physical activity, health, and well-being. On the island of Ireland, its development since the early 2000s reflects both innovation and fragmentation. Early initiatives, particularly in Northern Ireland (NI), were ambitious but lacked coordination and sustainable structures. A shift occurred with the publication of the Coaching Strategy for Ireland 2008–2012 along with the introduction of the Lifelong Involvement in Sport and Physical Activity framework and the creation of an all-island cross-sectoral task group, encouraged more coherent progress. University-led programmes such as Y-Path, Project FLAME, and Moving Well-Being Well, along with school-based initiatives including the Curriculum Sport Programme in NI followed and advanced practice and evidence. More recent strategies, including Healthy Ireland – Get Ireland Active and Northern Ireland's Active Living strategy, highlight stronger policy integration. A major milestone was the 2022 launch of the All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement, the first in Europe, offering a shared foundation for future development. The chapter identifies enduring barriers, highlights opportunities for advocacy and integration, and sets out recommendations to strengthen future developments that can enhance health, education, and well-being across both jurisdictions.

The aim of this study was to examine students’ views on the extent to which uniforms are a barrier to physical activity (PA) and physical education (PE) participation in Irish secondary schools. Students ( N = 1439; age = 14.7, SD = 1.5; 58.2% female) from a purposive sample of 18 secondary schools completed an online survey. A hierarchical loglinear analysis was used to examine the relationship between gender, age, and perception of uniform as a barrier. A qualitative content analysis of open-ended survey items was used to capture deeper insights and contextual understanding. Uniforms were perceived to be a barrier for over half of students in PE lessons (54.5%) and outside of PE lessons (58.1%). Approximately half (52.2%) were allowed to wear a PE kit to school on days with a timetabled PE lesson, and this was more evident in mixed-gender schools (65.4%) than in boys’ (28.7%) or girls’ (29.6%) schools ( p < .001 ). Statistically significant three-way interactions were found between gender, school stage, and permission to wear PE kit ( p < .001). A significant two-way effect was found between uniform as a barrier in PE lessons and school stage ( p < .001). Notably, 30% of students’ recommendations for improving their general experience of PE referenced school uniform design and being allowed to wear PE kit all day, eliminating the need to use changing rooms. Modifying uniform policies to allow for more comfortable and practical attire could enhance PA levels and improve students’ overall PE experience.

Background : Girls are less physically active than boys, and school-based physical activity interventions in co-educational settings are often less effective for girls. To help improve the design of these interventions, this study explored which school-based strategies stakeholders consider most important for increasing girls’ physical activity. Methods : A Delphi study was conducted using 3 rounds of online surveys with stakeholders from 3 groups: academics, school educators, and government representatives. In the first round, participants identified strategies they believed could increase girls’ physical activity in schools, and responses were analyzed using thematic analysis to generate a list of strategies. In the second and third rounds, participants rated the importance of these strategies using an 8-point Likert scale; consensus was defined as responses falling within a consecutive 3-point range. Results : Stakeholders across the 3 groups reached consensus on 19 strategies that emphasized creating inclusive, enjoyable, and empowering environments for girls including approaches, such as supportive school cultures, positive role modeling, safe and welcoming spaces, and opportunities for student voice. Additional areas of agreement differed slightly across groups, with academic and government representatives highlighting system-level and curriculum-related approaches, and school educators and government representatives emphasizing relational practices and operational supports, such as staff well-being and resourcing. Conclusions : Overall, the findings highlight the importance of coordinated, multilevel strategies that combine inclusive teaching practices with broader school and policy support to enhance girls’ participation in physical activity, offering guidance for researchers, educators, and policymakers seeking to design and sustain more effective school-based interventions.

Background: Communication campaigns within multi-component school-based interventions could improve knowledge and awareness about physical activity (PA) behavior. Guidance to implement such communication campaigns is lacking. This paper presents the co-creation and evaluation processes that led to the development of the COMMUNICATE toolkit, which supports implementers to communicate PA messages. Methods: Students and teachers from secondary schools enrolled in the Active School Flag (ASF) program were invited to participate. To provide a nuanced perspective on the communication of PA, ASF program implementers (i.e., coordinating teacher and adolescent peer leaders) and receivers (i.e., staff and students not involved in ASF delivery), together known as co-creators, engaged in three rounds of co-creation workshops to share ideas, provide feedback, and refine the toolkit. Workshop data were collected via activity recording sheets; written raw materials were photographed and later transcribed verbatim to generate a dataset. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted to organize and describe the toolkit components. A multi-stakeholder research steering group ( n =7) was established to design, facilitate, and evaluate the co-creation process. The toolkit was refined between rounds of workshops. Throughout the co-creation process, the facilitator reflected after each workshop to improve its’ participatory nature. After the final workshop, co-creators completed a process evaluation questionnaire. Additional consultations with experts were held to bridge the gap in expertise. A logic model was developed to understand the theory of change behind the toolkit. Results: Eight teachers and 38 students from four ASF schools participated in the co-creation workshops. All 14 aspects of the process evaluation were mainly positive (86.7-100%). Common reasons for negative responses included co-creators not engaging, too much moving around during workshops, teachers’ involvement, and working with strangers. The final version of the toolkit included resources for program implementers to i) raise awareness about PA and the program, ii) plan the promotion of PA, and iii) develop key communication skills. Conclusions: The COMMUNICATE toolkit, informed by multi-stakeholder voices, emphasizes a multi-level, multi-stakeholder approach to communicating PA messages with adolescents in schools. It provides tools and resources for program implementers to improve communication efforts. The COMMUNICATE toolkit could be adapted to other peer-led school-based programs.

Most research focuses on the relationship of individual movement behaviours, neglecting how different compositions throughout the day associate with cardiometabolic health outcomes. The aim of this study was to explore the optimal awake movement behaviour composition associated with predicted cardiometabolic health outcomes in youth. The study included participants (N = 1,310 participants; 11.1 ± 2.5 [range = 7.98-17.1 years]; 55.9% female; 100% European) from the International Children's Accelerometry Database. Accelerometer measured sedentary behaviour (SB), light-(LPA) and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) defined the awake movement behaviour composition. Four cardiometabolic health outcomes (lipid profile, blood pressure, glucose metabolism, and body mass) were assessed through nine parameters. These were regressed against the awake movement behaviour composition, adjusting for relevant covariates to estimate the optimal awake movement behaviour composition for each predicted cardiometabolic health outcome (i.e. "Goldilocks Day"). The final models found a significant relationship between the awake movement behaviour composition and cardiometabolic health outcome, excluding lipid profile indicators. For indicators of glucose metabolism, blood pressure and body mass, the Goldilocks Day consisted of less SB (-12 to -39 min), LPA (-8 to -32 min) and more MVPA (+44 to 47 min) when compared to the sample mean. These findings concur with current guidelines that more MVPA and less SB are better, but the optimal time youth should spend in each behaviour depends on the health outcome of interest. This indicates that one size does not fit all when making recommendations for multiple cardiometabolic health outcomes.