Scale-up of the Australian Fans in Training (Aussie-FIT) men’s health behaviour change program: a randomized controlled hybrid implementation trial

Research shows that a 12-week program run in UK soccer clubs (Football Fans in Training) is effective in supporting men to get to a healthier weight and sustain changes 3.5 years later. We created an Australianised version, Aussie-FIT, and our pilot in Western Australia (WA) found it attracts men living with obesity and supports them to make changes to their physical activity, eating behaviour, weight, and wellbeing. We have also shown Aussie-FIT to appeal to men with cardiovascular disease, for whom it can play an important role in secondary prevention. This project will substantiate the program’s longer term impact on cardiovascular health by undertaking research with a larger sample and longer follow up. We will also determine how Aussie-FIT deliveries can be sustained in WA; implemented across other States and Territories (Queensland, Northern Territory); scaled to appeal to a wider audience (e.g., via deliveries in rugby); and identify potential adaptations with marginalised populations such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men.