Was it diffusion? Exploring the spread of daily physical activity policies in Canada
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v16i1.828Keywords:
Physical Activity, Health-Promoting Policy, Health-Promoting Schools, Public Health, Daily Physical Activity, Policy DiffusionAbstract
Background: Between 2005 and 2010, five Canadian provinces adopted daily physical activity (DPA) policies. This study investigated the adoption and spread of those DPA policies in the 5-year period. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the role, if any, of diffusion in the adoption and spread of DPA policies across provinces in Canada over a 5-year period. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 DPA policy influencers. Transcripts were analyzed using directed content analysis to examine alignment with an established diffusion framework. Findings were also examined for consistency with mechanisms of policy diffusion and alternative explanations of policy spread. Results: Participant responses aligned most closely with diffusion framework components of attributes of the innovation, system antecedents for innovation, implementation and routinization, receptive context for change, assimilation by the system, system readiness for innovation, interorganizational networks and collaboration, and communication and influence. Findings also revealed evidence of policy learning, imitation, and competition across jurisdictions as the dominant mechanisms of policy diffusion. There was limited evidence that common shock and independent causation contributed to policy spread. Conclusions: The spread of DPA policies across Canada between 2005 and 2010 was consistent with theoretical concepts and mechanisms of policy diffusion.
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Copyright (c) 2023 Elizabeth J. Campbell, Dana Lee Olstad, John C. Spence, Kate E. Storey, Candace I.J. Nykiforuk
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