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, Allison Dunne Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre,Sheffield Hallam University , Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Road, Sheffield, S9 3TU , Corresponding author. E-mail: a.r.dunne@shu.ac.uk Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Helen Quirk Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR), School of Medicine and Population Health, University of Sheffield , 30 Regent Street, Sheffield, S1 4DA , UK Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Alice Bullas Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre,Sheffield Hallam University , Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Road, Sheffield, S9 3TU , UK Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Steve Haake Advanced Wellbeing Research Centre,Sheffield Hallam University , Olympic Legacy Park, 2 Old Hall Road, Sheffield, S9 3TU , UK Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6471-2160 Health Promotion International, Volume 39, Issue 3, June 2024, daae045, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daae045
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21 May 2024
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Allison Dunne, Helen Quirk, Alice Bullas, Steve Haake, ‘My parkrun friends.’ A qualitative study of social experiences of men at parkrun in Ireland, Health Promotion International, Volume 39, Issue 3, June 2024, daae045, https://doi.org/10.1093/heapro/daae045
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Abstract
Social support is a well-established determinant of mental wellbeing. Community initiatives, which combine a purposeful activity with social connection, may be appropriate to promote the mental wellbeing of middle-aged men in Ireland—a group at risk of poor mental wellbeing due to social isolation. parkrun offers free, weekly, 5km run or walk events in 22 countries. This study aims to explore the social experience of parkrun participation for middle-aged men in Ireland and considers how social connections made at parkrun relate to mental wellbeing. Online semi-structured interviews were conducted in 2022/23 with 39 men aged 45–64 years, who run, walk or volunteer at parkrun in Ireland, recruited purposively in rural and urban communities. Men with a range of parkrun experience gave interviews lasting a mean of 32minutes. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Reflexive thematic analysis resulted in three themes and ten subthemes. The men described parkrun as offering a welcoming and supportive environment (Theme 1). Men at parkrun could choose the level of social connections, building strong or weak social ties to provide social support and improve mental wellbeing (Theme 2). Social engagement with parkrun evolved following repeated participation (Theme 3). The results suggest that parkrun is a suitable community initiative for middle-aged men at risk of poor mental wellbeing due to social isolation. Social connections were developed after repeated participation in parkrun and these connections improved subjective mental wellbeing. The findings from this study could be used to design new initiatives for mental health promotion.
social connection, social support, community, mental wellbeing, physical activity, men’s health, loneliness
© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.
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