2026/01/01 by Andrea Ramirez Varela, João Martins, Michael Pratt +4 · 1 voice
Psychology · Health Professions · #Children's Physical and Motor Development #Physical Education and Pedagogy #Physical Education and Training Studies
paper · doi:10.1123/jpah.2026-0089
openalex publication_date 2026/01/01 · openalex created_date 2026/03/12 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/22
Background: Belgium, a high-income European country, operates under a decentralized governance structure in which preventive health and physical activity (PA) promotion are regionally administered. All regional governments have articulated explicit policy objectives to enhance PA and/or sport participation, reflecting sustained political commitment. The 2025 Global Observatory for Physical Activity (GoPA!) Country Card synthesizes Belgium’s progress in PA surveillance, policy development, and research output, while identifying gaps and areas for improvement. Methods: The Country Card was produced using the standardized GoPA! methodology, including population-based surveys, policy inventories, and bibliometric analyses. The primary source for PA prevalence was the Health Interview Survey 2023–2024, coordinated by Sciensano, Belgium’s national public health institute. Indicators included PA prevalence disaggregated by gender and domain, the presence and implementation of national and regional PA policies, scientific research productivity, and overall national capacity for PA promotion. Results: Belgium maintains comprehensive, population-wide PA guidelines and established surveillance mechanisms spanning the health, education, transport, and sports sectors. Despite a relatively high prevalence of active transport (83% of individuals aged ≥15 years report walking or cycling for transport at least once weekly), only 57% of adults achieve WHO-recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous intensity PA. Persistent gender and age disparities remain evident. These findings underscore the need for enhanced intersectoral coordination and integration of PA within all relevant policy domains. The “PA on Prescription” program implemented in both Flanders and Wallonia is a promising strategy for increasing participation in PA. Discussion: The 2025 Country Card introduces, for the first time, sex-disaggregated and domain-specific indicators to support equitable and targeted policy action. Belgium demonstrates substantial policy engagement and research productivity in PA promotion. However, harmonization of surveillance systems and intersectoral governance remains suboptimal. Conclusion: Belgium has made significant progress in PA policy development, largely driven by regional initiatives. However, further efforts are required to harmonize PA surveillance systems, strengthen intersectoral collaboration by embedding PA within all relevant policy domains, and effectively address persistent gender and age disparities. Dissemination strategy: The Country Card is published in Dutch, French, and German, and disseminated through academic platforms and social media to maximize accessibility and stakeholder engagement.