The effectiveness of interventions that support women, girls, and people who menstruate to participate in exercise/sport/physical activity: a rapid overview of reviews protocol
Creators: name: Sidhu, Amrita
name: Gillen, Elizabeth
name: Edwards, Deborah
name: Mann, Mala
name: Csontos, Judit
name: Hounsome, Juliet
name: Kiseleva, Meg
Publisher: name: OSF Registries
Year: 2024
Subjects: subject: Sports Sciences
subject: Public Health Education and Promotion
subject: Women's Health
subject: Public Health
subject: Medicine and Health Sciences
subject: overview of reviews
subject: physical activity participation
subject: rapid review
subject: women's health

description: Insufficient physical activity is a significant risk factor for non-communicable diseases alongside having a negative impact on mental health and quality of life (Guthold et al. 2018). Hence, it is important that people maintain adequate physical activity levels throughout their lifetimes. However, the prevalence of insufficient physical activity (less than 150 min/week moderate-intensity, or 75 min/week vigorous-intensity exercise, or any combination of these) is 8% higher among women than in men globally (Guthold et al. 2018). In the United Kingdom (UK), while the Department of Health &amp; Social Care (2019) adapted physical activity guidelines similar to the WHO, women (16 years and older) were also less likely to be physically active (61%) compared to men (65.6%) (Sport England 2023). A similar trend also exists in Wales, where women were more likely to report ‘no activity’ (18%) compared to all adults (16%) (Sport Wales 2021). 

Several barriers to the exercise participation of women, girls, and people who menstruate have been documented in the literature. Young and older women between the ages of 18 and 87 years often reported barriers, such as body image and societal beauty standards, family duties, lack of social support, religious and cultural norms, inadequate sport facilities and environment, and safety issues (Peng et al. 2023). Additionally, physiological differences between sexes can also act as a barrier, for example, menstruation and symptoms associated with periods are often reported as factors that reduce physical activity among adults and adolescents (Harvey et al. 2020, Kolić et al. 2021, Youth Sport Trust 2023). 

These barriers prompted governments to provide recommendations for improving exercise participation. In a recent report by the House of Commons (2024), improved education regarding the menstrual cycle and change in physical education kit were some of the recommendations to address barriers affecting exercise participation of adolescent girls. The Welsh Government in its Period Proud Action Plan set out to identify interventions that could help reduce physical inactivity among women, girls and people who menstruate (Welsh Government 2023). Therefore, the aim of this rapid review is to investigate the effectiveness of interventions that support women, girls, and people who menstruate to participate in exercise/sport/physical activity. 

Numerous interventions have been proposed throughout the years to increase the exercise participation of women, girls, and people who menstruate. Consultations, peer-leader and friendship strategies, school- or primary care-based interventions have been investigated for children and adolescent girls (NICE 2008), while telehealth and mobile-based interventions have been suggested for postpartum and midlife women (AlSwayied et al. 2022, Turner et al. 2023). Preliminary searches identified multiple systematic reviews focusing on interventions that aim to support exercise participation of women, girls, and people who menstruate. Thus, systematic reviews will be included in this review, to create a rapid overview of reviews.