Development, explanation, and presentation of the Physical Literacy Interventions Reporting Template (PLIRT)

Abstract

Background: The physical literacy (PL) concept integratesdifferent personal (e.g., physical, cognitive, psychological/affective, social)determinants of physical activity and has received growing attention recently.Although practical efforts increasingly adopt PL as a guiding concept, latestevidence has shown that PL interventions often lack specification of importanttheoretical foundations and basic delivery information. Therefore, the goal ofthe present study was to develop an expert-based template that supports researchers and practitionersin planning and reporting PL interventions. Methods: The development process was informed by Moher etal.’s guidance for the development of research reporting guidelines. Wecomposed a group of ten distinguished experts on PL. In two face-to-facemeetings, the group first discussed a literature-driven draft of reportingitems. In the second stage, the experts anonymouslyvoted and commented on the items in two rounds (each leading to revisions)until consensus was reached. Results: The panel recommended that stakeholders of PLinitiatives should tightly interlock interventional aspects with PL theorywhile ensuring consistency throughout all stages of intervention development.The Physical Literacy Interventions Reporting Template (PLIRT) encompasses atotal of 14 items (two additional items for mixed-methods studies) in sixdifferent sections: title (one item),background and definition (three items), assessment (one item each forquantitative and qualitative studies), design and content (five items),evaluation (one item plus one item each for quantitative and qualitativestudies), discussion and conclusion (two items). Conclusion: The PLIRT was designed to facilitate improvedtransparency and interpretability in reports on PL interventions. The templatehas the potential to close gaps between theory and practice, therebycontributing to more holistic interventions for the fields of physicaleducation, sport, and health.