In developing the content of the Plan, the Expert Panels and Revision Executive Committee applied the following guiding principles:
- The Plan is grounded in a socio-ecological model of health behavior. This model holds that physical activity behavior is influenced by a broad constellation of factors operating at the personal, family, institutional, community and policy levels. Sustainable behavior change is most likely when influences at all the levels are aligned to support change.
- The Plan consists of initiatives that are supported by evidence of effectiveness. Levels of evidence range from findings of controlled research studies to best practice models.
- The Plan includes recommendations for actions at the national, state, local and institutional levels, but fundamentally it is a roadmap for change at the community level that facilitates personal behavior change.
- Although reduction of time spent in sedentary behavior is recognized as a worthy goal, the Plan focuses on strategies for increasing the types and amounts of physical activity recommended by current public health guidelines.
