Workshop/Forum/Panel National Men's Health Gathering 2025

Optimising sport settings and spaces to promote men’s health and wellbeing (129083)

Bryce Brickley 1 , Matthew D McDonald 2 , James A Smith 1 , Jason Bonson 1 , Murray Drummond 3 , Toby Pavey 4 , Lee Wharton 4 , Jahdai Vigona 5 , Dante Rodrigues 5 , Eleanor Quested 2
  1. College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Casuarina, NT, Australia
  2. Curtin School of Population Health, Curtin University, Perth, WA, Australia
  3. College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
  4. School of Exercise and Nutrition Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
  5. One Percent Program, Darwin, NT, Australia

Background: Health promotion initiatives and research trials often fail to engage men in meaningful and sustained ways, particularly men who may be marginalised due to intersecting factors such as age, gender, health status, remoteness, and Indigeneity. In response, sport settings have been identified as potential spaces to promote boys and men’s health. In this workshop/panel discussion we will bring together diverse stakeholders from across Australia to talk about lessons learned during the grassroots planning and implementation of health promotion programs targeting diverse groups of men across Australia. We will draw on examples from the cross-jurisdictional Heart Foundation funded Australian Fans in Training (Aussie-FIT) Program and Northern Territory youth and Indigenous-focused One Percent Program.

Objectives: Co-facilitated by two Early Career Researchers in Men’s Health, this workshop aims to:

  • Introduce different health promotion programs targeting boys and men, which utilise sports settings and spaces as an engagement mechanism.
  • Share reflections and insights from a diverse panel representing community implementation, lived experience, industry partners, and global experts in men’s health promotion and sport-based health research.
  • Critically explore the strengths, limitations, and contextual variability of sports clubs and spaces as settings for men’s health promotion.
  • Foster connections among attendees and share ideas for embedding and sustaining boys and men’s engagement through sports settings to promote their health.

Summary of proposed 60-minute workshop:

0-10 min - Opening by Dr Brickley and Dr McDonald: overview of men’s engagement in sport-based health promotion and trials.

10-30 min – Facilitated panel discussion sharing reflections on experiences with engaging men in discussion about their health and wellbeing through sports settings and spaces:

  • Professor James Smith, Co-Director of Health Equity Impact Program, Flinders University (NT)
  • Professor Murray Drummond, Lead of Sports, Health, Activity, Performance and Exercise Research Centre (SHAPE), Flinders University (SA)
  • A/Professor Toby Pavey, Associate Professor Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour and Health, Queensland University of Technology
  • Mr Jason Bonson, Participant of the Aussie-FIT Program (NT)
  • Mr Jahdai Vigona, Co-Founder of the One Percent Program
  • Mr Dante Rodrigues, Co-Founder of the One Percent Program

30-40 min – Break into small groups to reflect on the panel discussion, sharing ideas to support men’s health program adoption and sustainment in sports settings using experiences from their own contexts.

40-50 min – Whole-group share back.

50-60 min – Wrap up, close by Dr Brickley and Dr McDonald, and distribution of take-home resources.