A pilot gender-sensitised lifestyle intervention for overweight men targeted at physical activity, diet, and mental health

Men in the intervention group with receive the 12-week HAT TRICK Aus program. HAT TRICK Aus is a group-based face-to-face intervention focused on physical activity, healthy eating, and mental fitness. This theory-guided program has been developed for men living in Australia using a participatory design process. Weekly session will be collaboratively delivered by a health promotion specialist who has experience delivering lifestyle interventions for men and an accredited exercise professional (e.g., ESSA AES). Sessions will be held at Moore Park Precinct, Sydney, Australia, and utilise the affiliated training facilities/classroom space and surrounding parklands. Following randomisation, all men in the intervention group will receive: a) Weekly 90-minute session including targeted health education regarding physical activity, healthy eating, mental health, and behaviour change techniques (i.e., goal setting, self-monitoring). Each weekly session also includes a progressive physical activity program (i.e., increasing in duration and intensity on a weekly basis), initially beginning with 15 minutes in week 1 (mild to moderate intensity - 8-10 on the Borg RPE scale) and progressing to 60 minutes by week 12 (moderate to vigorous intensity - 12-15 on the Borg RPE scale). Exercises will include both aerobic (e.g., brisk walking) and resistance training (e.g., compound body weight movements), delivered using fun and engaging activities (e.g., walking soccer match). b) Weekly challenges focused on encouraging participants to incorporate what they have learned during the weekly sessions into their daily lives. c) The HAT TRICK Playbook: A print-based informational resource booklet with tailored messaging concerning physical activity, healthy eating and mental health. The Playbook has been specifically adapted* for this study through consultation with men living in Australia and is designed to be culturally relevant and gender-tailored. For example, the Playbook uses strength-based messaging, incorporates sport-themed references to frame health-related topics, and emphasises strategies that appeal to masculinities (e.g., independence, self-reliance, and mastery). *Original source: Caperchione, C.M., Bottorff, J.L., Oliffe, J.L., Johnson, S.T., Hunt, K., Sharp, P., Pointer, C., Dudley, L., Fitzpatrick, K. (2018). HAT TRICK: Physical activity, healthy eating, and mental fitness playbook for men (Second Edition). University of British Columbia, Kelowna, BC. d) Headgear (Black Dog Institute): A publicly available and free App focused on preventative mental health. The App has been previously tested among Australian men and utilises two therapies (behavioural activation and mindfulness) which have been shown to be effective in the treatment and prevention of common mental disorders. Program adherence will be assessed using attendance records and participants' self-reported usage of the intervention components (e.g., Playbook). Participants who miss two or more consecutive sessions will be contacted by facilitators and reasons for absences/dropout will be recorded.