Running 15 minutes daily - interview study with teachers four years after introducing the physical activity intervention "The Daily Mile" at a Swedish junior school

Staffan Svensson, Anders Kretz, Kristin Augutis

Keywords: Physical Activity, School children, The Daily Mile, Interview, Implementation

Background:

A sedentary lifestyle is linked to multiple health risks. Various interventions aim at establishing sound physical activity habits among children, one of these being "The Daily Mile", where pupils have scheduled 15-minute walk/run sessions at school. Its implementation over time has not been studied in a Swedish setting.

Research questions:

How did teachers experience the introduction and maintenance of "The Daily Mile" (TDM)? What were the obstacles and facilitating factors for keeping this intervention going?

Method:

Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews performed in 2022. Participants were 8 teachers actively involved in day-to-day running of TDM (focus group interview) and 1 teacher and local originator of TDM intervention (individual interview). The setting was a junior school (ages 6-12) in a socioeconomically vulnerable area of Gothenburg, Sweden. This was the first school to practise TDM in Sweden, in 2018, and the intervention is still on-going. Audio-recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using systematic text condensation ad modum Malterud.

Results:

Teachers experience the TDM intervention as simple and appreciated by pupils. Factors that have contributed to TDM being maintained over time are its continuous deployment and integration into day-to-day activities. A strong motivation among the teaching staff is considered a necessary condition for its maintenance, as is the possibility to adapt the implementation of TDM to local circumstances. Among the obstacles are low motivation of some (notably older) pupils, their lack of suitable shoes and clothes, and a reluctance to getting sweaty.

Conclusions:

The Daily Mile appears to be a sustainable intervention for increasing physical activity among school children, but its implementation is dependent on teachers' motivation. Findings may be useful for similar schools starting TDM.

Points for discussion:

Responsibility for introducing and maintaining physical activity among children - pros and cons of involving schools

Ways of improving methodology, possible bias in that participants are enthusiastic

Ways of triangulating outcomes using other types of data collection

#105