ACTIVE for LIFE
England's three-year national physical activity campaign from 1996, run by the Health Education Authority to promote new Department of Health advice of at least 30 minutes of moderate activity on most days. A 1996 TV launch aimed at all adults was followed by phases for people over 50 (1997) and young women (1998).
- Years
- 1996–1998
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Budget
- Roughly £2 million for the six-week spring 1996 TV burst (per Davis 2009 summary)
- Topic
- Physical activity
- Asks people to
- Start
- Strategy
- Simple instruction
- Channel
- EventsPrintTV
- Audience
- AdultsOlder adultsYoung adults1996: all adults 16-74. 1997: men and women 50+ (tabloid ads to middle-aged men). 1998: women 16-24 via women's magazines. Sub-campaigns for Black and minority ethnic communities and people with disabilities.
Evidence
ObservationalNo effect
Three-year national longitudinal cohort of 3,189 adults aged 16-74. 38% recognised the main ad images 6-8 months after the TV advert. Knowledge of moderate-activity recommendations rose 3.0 points (95% CI 1.4-4.5) by wave 2 and 3.7 points by wave 3, but did not differ by ad awareness. The share of active people did not rise; the authors found no evidence the campaign improved physical activity, overall or in any subgroup (Hillsdon et al. 2001).
Sponsor (who paid)
- Health Education Authority (England) Foreign government, creator
Credits (who made it)
Not recorded yet.
Executions (individual ads)
- The thirty minute games 1996 · tv
Related campaigns
- Push Play 1999
- Change4Life 2009–now
Sources
- Hillsdon M, Cavill N, Nanchahal K, Diamond A, White IR. National level promotion of physical activity: results from England's ACTIVE for LIFE campaign. J Epidemiol Community Health 2001;55(10):755-61 evaluation · 2001 · DOI 10.1136/jech.55.10.755 · PMID 11553661
- Davis A. Essential Evidence 33: Assessment of the Active for Life campaign (Travelwest, 8 September 2009) reference · 2009
Research notes
Campaign years, phases, budget and the 'thirty minute games' ad come from Davis 2009 (fetched), a summary of the evaluation; the JECH full text (403) was not read. One search snippet says the Department of Health commissioned the HEA in 1995; not confirmed. endYear 1998 assumes the 'three-year campaign starting in 1996' ended in 1998.
Record cases/hea-active-for-life.json, updated 2026-10-23· Link to this campaign