Factors influencing implementation of youth physical activity interventions

Little is known about the factors that influence implementation of physical activity interventions undertaken in youth-serving settings, and this lack of information impedes the development of effective implementation strategies. This study convened a panel of experts to identify factors that are most important in achieving successful implementation of physical activity interventions in youth-serving organizations. Five recognized experts participated in a four-round, modified Delphi consensus process. The panelists were asked to achieve consensus on a list of potential factors that are most important in predicting successful implementation and on the descriptions of these factors. They also provided estimates regarding the individual contributions each of the identified factors make in predicting a successful implementation. These estimates were then translated into Bayesian predictive models for factor selection. The expert panel achieved consensus on 23 factors. Results from the factor selection procedures indicated that a final model containing 15 factors yielded the greatest contributions in predicting successful implementation of youth physical activity interventions. In this final model, five factors were classified as organizational characteristics, six factors as implementation processes, two factors as provider characteristics, and two factors as program characteristics and community-level factors, respectively. In conclusion, this is the first study to identify factors that are important in achieving a successful implementation of youth physical activity interventions through systemically gathering information from a panel of experts. The 15 factors identified in this study provide important information to inform implementation planning and evaluation of future interventions.