Football Fitness as an activity for health promotion among women : A mixed method study

Abstract: Previous research showed that in 2010, only 23% of adults and 81% of teenagers worldwide did not meet the recommendations for physical activity. Physical inactivity is related to increased risk of poorer health and suffering from lifestyle diseases. Football Fitness is a relatively new concept of organized physical activity with moderate and high intensity. The training form combines strength and fitness to suit all ages and gender, regardless of previous soccer experience or physical ability. Being part of a group and establishing social relations have been shown to be related to improved well-being and was one of the main factors for participation. The purpose of the study was, therefore, to investigate whether participation in Football Fitness was related to positive changes in mental health and well-being, and to strive to explore and create an understanding of women's experiences of participation. Method The women (N = 18) aged 15 to 54 years participated in a 6-week intervention, 2 workouts per week, in 90 minutes. The following inclusion criteria were used to carry out the selection: (1) should be less physically active than 150 minutes a week; (2) had not played organized football in the last 10 years and (3) were not diagnosed with any clinical mental health diagnosis. The study was conducted with a mixed method through an experimental design that involved three times to measure women's perceived well-being, current physical functions, social capital and whether participation in Football Fitness felt meaningful. Furthermore, focus group interviews were conducted after the intervention was completed. Quantitative data was analyzed by Bayesian repeated measures analysis of variance (R-ANOVA) and a one pair sample t-test was used as statistical tests in the study and performed in JASP. Qualitative data were analyzed through qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. Results The result of the quantitative analysis showed that Football Fitness had a positive impact on women's well-being (BF10 = 3659,057), and social capital (BF10= 831.785) over time. Furthermore, the result showed that women who participated felt that it was meaningful to participate in Football Fitness (BF10 = 2.570e + 6). The analysis showed support for the null hypothesis that Football Fitness should give effect to women's current functions (BF10 = .0576). The qualitative result showed that women experienced comfort, solidarity, satisfaction, and happiness during participation, which created added value for women without previous experience of football. Conclusion The result of the present study supports the hypothesis that Football Fitness contributes to positive changes in psychological health and well-being. The women who participated in the study experienced comfort, solidarity, satisfaction, and happiness in participation, which are factors that contribute to increased health and well-being. The result of the study showed that women valued group training where they had the opportunity to create social relationships in context with the training and that it was positive with an including leader and a group that contributed to a feeling of comfort. These factors contributed to the fact that women who participated felt that participation in Football Fitness added value. Participating in Football Fitness added value to the women without precious football experience which indicates that further investigations regarding the association between Football Fitness and lifestyle predictors.