EXTERNALLY FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS
Lived-experience experts’ and key relevant parties’ perspectives on a trauma and violence-informed cardio-boxing intervention for women who have experienced intimate partner violence
Background
Literature examining the role that moderate vigorous physical activity (PA; i.e. cardio-boxing) might play in supporting women who have experienced intimate partner violence (IPV) is limited. Boxing has been shown to support an increase in mood, self-esteem, concentration, and a reduction in stress. As a form of physical activity, it has an emphasis on skill development and focused movement and as such might support developing a sense of mastery, physical and mental strength, resilience and empowerment. For women who have experienced the lack of control and agency around their lives, and often their bodies too, a modified boxing (non-contact, cardio-based) intervention, might be an attractive and accessible form of moderate to vigorous PA for victim-survivors, particularly where the safety of participants is central to the design and development of the program.
Aim
This study has a singular overarching aim:
To explore the perspectives of both women victim-survivors of IPV (known as lived-experience experts) and key relevant parties (i.e. case managers/practitioners within service delivery organisations or mental health workers involved in supporting victim-survivors of IPV) on the design, development and delivery of a trauma and violence-informed (TVI), non-contact cardio-boxing intervention to support women who have experienced IPV.
It will be comprised of two phases:
Phase 1: Victim-survivors
Objectives:
1. To explore the perceived acceptability and feasibility of a TVI, non-contact cardio-boxing intervention to support women who have experienced IPV.
2. To explore intervention design considerations for a TVI, non-contact cardio-boxing intervention to support women who have experienced IPV.
3. To understand perceived barriers to adoption and future implementation of a TVI, non-contact cardio-boxing intervention and strategies that might enhance participant engagement.
Phase 2: Key relevant parties
Objectives:
1. To explore the perspectives of key relevant parties on the design and delivery of a TVI, non-contact cardio-boxing intervention to support women who have experienced IPV.
2. To understand key relevant parties’ perceptions on factors that could facilitate the integration of a TVI, non-contact cardio-boxing intervention to support women who have experienced IPV.
3. To identify strategies for sustainable implementation and opportunities for scale-up.
Methods
This is a two-phase qualitative study in the form of semi-structured, one-on-one interviews. The study design will follow the principles of the Hutter-Hennink qualitative research cycle and be guided by the principles of reflexive thematic analysis. Open-ended questions will allow for the co-creation of data in line with the principles of reflexive thematic analysis. In addition, the interview guide uses some images of various possible design/delivery considerations around engaging in a group cardio-boxing program (i.e. environmental/setting considerations that might add/detract from TVI care). These images were deliberately selected with the hope of eliciting a deeper connection to the topic but also to enrich the nature of the discussion. Photo-elicitation is well-suited to a study exploring subject matter where we are asking participants to imagine an environment that might not be something they have experienced previously and provides participants with an opportunity to explore empowerment via an active choice, which is congruent with the TVI underpinnings of this study.
Phase 1:
A semi-structured interview schedule has been developed, informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CIFR). This will explore aspects of the characteristics of the intervention, setting/environment, individuals involved, and barriers and facilitators impacting implementation. This will be explored through a TVI lens with a focus on understanding considerations of safety, trust, transparency, peer support, collaboration/mutuality, empowerment/voice/choice and cultural/historical/gender issues. This study will also be informed by the Theoretical Framework of Acceptability (TFA) and constructs including burden, affective attitude, ethical consequences and user experiences will be used to explore acceptability.
Phase 2:
A semi-structured interview schedule has been developed, informed by the PRACTIS guide for implementation and scale-up of physical activity interventions and TVI principles. This will explore aspects including: 1) how the intervention might fit into existing policy, support pathways and delivery systems; 2) what role organisations/key relevant parties might play in championing the intervention (e.g. referral, advertising); and 3) strategies to enhance research-practice translation including but not limited to perceived barriers and facilitators.