Studies consisting of fundamentally different designs have been labelled as home-based, making searching for relevant literature challenging and time-consuming. This issue has been further highlighted by an increased demand for these programmes following the COVID-19 pandemic and associated government-imposed lockdowns. Purpose: To examine what specifically constitutes home-based exercise by 1) developing definitions for a range of terms used when reporting exercise and physical activity programmes and 2) providing examples to contextualise these definitions for use when reporting exercise and physical activity programmes. Methods: A literature search was undertaken to identify previous attempts to define home-based exercise programmes. A working document, including initial definitions and examples were developed, which were then discussed between seven experts for further refinement. Results: We generated definitions for universal key terms within three domains (and subdomains) of programme design: location (home-based, community-based or centre-based), prescription (structured or unstructured) and delivery (supervised, facilitated, or unsupervised). Examples for possible combinations of design terms were produced. Conclusion: Definitions will provide consistency when using reporting tools and will be tested as part of a proposed Delphi study. This is of paramount importance due to the predicted increase in emerging research regarding home-based exercise. Funding: No funding to declare.
The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada, Vol. 14 No. 3 (2021): Proceedings from the 8th International Society for Physical Activity and Health Congress