Why do new members stop attending health and fitness venues? The importance of developing frequent and stable attendance behaviour

ObjectivesAttendance at health and fitness venues often declines dramatically during the first year of membership. The present study sought to identify factors associated with continued attendance in new members.MethodsA secondary data analysis was conducted on the attendance data of 1726 new members of a health and fitness organisation over the first 12 months of their membership. Associations were assessed between members’ frequency and pattern of attendance during the first quarter of their membership, age, gender, and home location and their attendance levels in the fourth quarter after joining.ResultsThere was a significant reduction in the frequency of attendance over time from a mean of 7.48 times in the first month to a mean of 0.92 in the 12th month after joining. Older age, starting membership in the autumn or spring, frequency of attendance in the first quarter and stability of the context of attendance (i.e., same time and location) in month three were all significantly associated with increased attendance levels in the fourth quarter.ConclusionsThe findings indicate that new members’ early attendance behaviour, in terms of the frequency and the stability of attendance, may be important for supporting continued attendance at health and fitness venues. Interventions to increase longer-term attendance and, in turn, physical activity, should focus on promoting regular and consistent attendance, especially in terms of day, time and location, early on in individuals’ membership of health and fitness venues.     

Affect and public health – Choreographing atmospheres of movement and participation

Attempts at improving physical activity rates among the population are central to many government, public health, and third sector approaches to encouraging health behaviours. However, to date there has been little attempt by public health to embrace different theoretical-methodological approaches, relying instead upon largely quantitative techniques. This paper argues that through a development of a framework of affect amplification, public health approaches to physical activity should incorporate the choreographing of spaces of movement. Drawing on two case studies, both incorporating ethnographic methodologies, this paper complicates the idea that public health can rely on individual or population level approaches that overlook affective and spatial entanglements. This paper concludes by outlining offer a series of ideas to encourage physical activity participation.     

Queer affordances of care in suburban public libraries

Public libraries are more than the materiality of their built form and collections. Within ever-widening mandates to enhance social inclusion and citizen emotional and physical well-being through micro-political practices of care, this paper addresses the resourceful community resilience that insider activist and ally librarians may foster for LGBTQ + suburbanites. Turning its attention to Canadian suburban public libraries in three case study peripheral municipalities (Mississauga, Brampton, and Ajax) in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), this paper draws on participant observation and semi-structured interviews with librarians to identify affordances of care selectively available for sexual and gender minorities. Following its original usage in psychology of perception scholarship, affordances are understood as the perceived differential, functional, and relational possibilities of objects, places, and people for action. The range of affordances of care discussed in this paper include: LGBTQ + -positive space iconography; LGBTQ + Pride book displays, reading lists, and book marks; and LGBTQ + book clubs, writing workshops, and story times. These empirical examples are used to explore the performative progressive limitations of suburban public libraries.     

Use of local public transport among people with cognitive impairments – A literature review

Being able to move around in the community including using different modes of transport is a prerequisite for being able to participate in activities outside home. This can be particular challenging for people with cognitive impairments. Still, research regarding public transport for people with cognitive impairments is scarce. In this narrative review scientific literature focusing on people with cognitive impairments and their needs in public transport, was identified and summarised. All aspects in the travel chain perspective were of interest. Literature search engines Scirus, Elin and Cinahl were used during the search.Thirty-four articles were included and analysed according to which part of the travel chain they covered in the used model. The results showed that the articles were unevenly allocated to the different parts of the model. Future studies based on real-world experiences are essential, and more user-centred approaches should be adopted. Moreover, there is a need for the development and evaluation of evidence-based rehabilitation. Finally, more research is needed to foster societal awareness of the problems and needs in the public transport of people with cognitive impairments taking the whole travel chain into consideration.     

Problem definition and information provision by federal bureaucrats

Federal bureaucrats are important sources of information about policy problems. However, federal officials compete for this influence with organized interests plying their own problems and solutions. We attribute the differential agenda influence of the federal bureaucracy to efforts in Congress to construct workable problem definitions in a context of uncertainty about issues. From both behavioral and rational models of congressional decision making, we develop a theory of congressional search for information during problem definition under conditions of uncertainty. The theory presages the prominence of federal bureaucrats in this search, and especially under uncertainty. Using new data sets capturing the appearance of federal bureaucrats at congressional hearings, we find that the mobilization, prominence, and types of federal bureaucrats providing information is explainable in terms of congressional uncertainty about problem definitions.