Culturally-relevant physical activity for public health promotion: global evidence synthesis

Abstract Background The WHO has noted the importance of cultural insights for health. Culturally-relevant physical activity has a growing evidence base in many regions and specific populations, but the scope and scale for global health promotion is underexplored. Methods A multinational expert team used a critical literature review method to: (1) define culturally-relevant physical activity; (2) delineate relevant characteristics supporting inclusion in population-level health promotion and surveillance; and (3) provide agenda setting in research, policy, and practice from a global public health promotion perspective. The critical review method, which evaluates rather than summarizes literature, was chosen as the research evidence is complex, broad, and has not been synthesized previously from this perspective. Results Culturally-relevant physical activity was defined as practices that include physical activity based on a population’s cultural customs. These can be Indigenous (e.g., hula, an Indigenous dance of Native Hawaiians) or regional (e.g., Shota (Shotë), an Albanian folk dance). Practices have shared characteristics that support multi-dimensional value for health, engagement, and healing. These include a collectivist, intergenerational component, passed from elders and shared forward with children as part of a community. Many have foundations in nature, a strength for health and wellbeing in green and blue spaces. Many include traditional art, clothing, accessories, and music with deep significance, including care for the tools and location of practice (e.g, drums, boats, land). Many practices would not be captured in harmonized public health surveillance systems despite their value. From this synthesis, research hypotheses were created and next steps proposed. Conclusions This evidence synthesis supports engagement, planning, uptake, policy, surveillance, and study of culturally-relevant physical activity for public health promotion locally and globally. Key messages • An important strength of culturally-relevant physical activity is that it is context and population specific. However, this may hide the scope and scale of the existing evidence supporting this work. • This evidence synthesis confirms how culturally-relevant physical activity is valuable globally across shared assets in research and practice, supporting next steps for public health promotion.