Mapping the provision and evaluation practices in local community health and wellbeing programmes delivered by professional sports clubs in the United Kingdom: A practice-based targeted review.

Professional sports clubs (PSCs) are potentially effective settings for health promotion, however, their role within policy is unclear. Potential reasons include lack of awareness about existing provision of health and wellbeing (H&W) programmes delivered, and adequacy of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) practices. This review aimed to: (i) map the provision of H&W programmes delivered by PSCs in the United Kingdom (UK); and (ii) to explore current M&E practices. Websites from eight professional sport leagues were hand-searched for programmes and impact reports. Suitable programmes were quantified, whilst impact reports were analysed via inductive documentary content analysis. Results identified 127 H&W programmes and 36 impact reports, presenting engagement figures and anecdotal case studies as the most common evaluation methods. Additionally, 43 H&W impact statements were identified, only 14 were aligned to specific H&W outcomes. None were supported by measurement-tool-driven data, reporting of data collection timeframes and participant numbers were also rare. Findings illuminate the provision of H&W programmes delivered by UK-based PSCs and demonstrate concern with promoting health. However, H&W aims of programmes are typically vague, measurement tools are rarely used, and evaluations are usually anecdotal. Further research is needed on the challenges faced when seeking to monitor and evaluate programmes effectively.