Studies Analyzing South American Public Policy Documents on Physical Activity: A Scoping Review

Objective: To map studies that evaluated national policy documents aimed at promoting physical activity and/or reducing sedentary behavior in South American countries. Methods: A scoping review was conducted, including complete studies that addressed national public policy documents for the promotion of physical activity and reduction of sedentary behavior in any South American country. Eligible studies were those obtained from electronic databases, without restrictions on language or year of publication. The search began with the equation: policy AND (“physical activity” OR “sedentary behavior” OR “screen time”) AND “health” AND (evaluat* OR assess*). Results: Thirteen studies were identified, which allowed us to identify that research conducted in South America has not yet included the analysis of public policy documents aimed at promoting the reduction of sedentary behavior in the subcontinent’s population. The majority of these studies were published in the last four years, and most analyzed Brazilian public policy documents. While some documents from intersectoral initiatives were found, the majority refer to national health sector programs focused on children and adolescents. Conclusion: In addition to helping identify the main characteristics of South American studies analyzing public policy documents on physical activity and sedentary behavior, these findings highlight how little this topic is still explored in the South American subcontinent.