Was it Diffusion? Exploring the Spread of Daily Physical Activity Policies in Canada.

Policy diffusion is the process of learning from other jurisdictions before adopting a policy idea. This study examines the potential role of policy diffusion in the adoption of daily physical activity policies across five Canadian provinces over five years (2005-2010). 

The authors explored daily physical activity policies through a national case study and conducted interviews with policy influencers from each province. Since policy diffusion can work through various mechanisms, the authors used components of a diffusion of innovation framework by Greenhalgh et al. (2004) to identify specific means of diffusion. The interviews with policy influencers were analyzed to establish if and how policy diffusion impacted the adoption of daily physical activity policies across provinces. 

The majority of the policy diffusion components established in the framework were identified in the interviews. Analysis of the interviews recognized learning, imitation, and competition as influential mechanisms of policy diffusion between provinces across Canada. Overall, policy diffusion was concluded to be a primary influencer in the adoption of daily physical activity policies in the five Canadian provinces studied.

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Full Publication: https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v16i1.828