Community exercise programmes for chronic disease and the emerging role of physical activity for health officers in Ireland: a narrative review
Year: 2026
Type: review
Abstract: Background: Community-based exercise programmes are increasingly recognised as an important component of chronic disease management, supporting physical function, self-management, and long-term health outcomes. In Ireland, the Physical Activity for Health Officer (PAfHO) role has been introduced as a pilot initiative to strengthen pathways between healthcare services and community-based physical activity provision. Objective: To examine the evidence relating to community exercise programmes for chronic disease management and explore the emerging role of Physical Activity for Health Officers within the Irish health system. A narrative review of the literature was undertaken. Electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) and relevant grey literature sources were searched for contemporary evidence published from January 2020 to 2026. Literature relating to community exercise interventions, exercise referral and signposting pathways, integrated care models, and the PAfHO initiative in Ireland was reviewed and synthesised narratively. The final search date and screening totals are reported in the Methods and Results. Results: The literature indicates that community-based exercise programmes can improve physical activity participation, functional capacity and health-related quality of life among people living with chronic disease. Interventions incorporating personalised exercise, behavioural support and coordinated referral or transition pathways appear particularly promising. International evidence supports closer integration between healthcare and community physical activity provision. In contrast, evidence directly evaluating the Irish PAfHO model remains limited and is currently derived predominantly from policy, service-development and emerging implementation evidence. The model may facilitate referral and signposting pathways, access to community provision and cross-sector collaboration, but its effects on participant outcomes, healthcare utilisation and service efficiency require prospective evaluation. Conclusions: Community-based exercise represents a potentially scalable component of chronic disease management within integrated care systems. The emerging PAfHO model is consistent with international approaches emphasising coordinated transitions between healthcare and community physical activity provision. However, evidence supporting community exercise interventions is substantially more established than evidence evaluating the PAfHO role itself. Further research should determine whether the PAfHO model improves participant outcomes, access and continuity of physical activity participation, healthcare utilisation and cost-effectiveness.
Author: Stephen McNally
Language: English
Topic: Physical Activity and Health
Field: Medicine
Domain: Health Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W7223107096