Data Analysis from our platform practices

This report written by project partners (EIEIM, De La Cruz Lastre L.D. & Steinacker J.) presents the results and analysis of the good practices collected within the HL4EU project as of August 2025. These initiatives aim to promote healthy lifestyles through physical activity across Europe and beyond. The assessment framework captures not only cross-sectoral cooperation but also the quality, sustainability, and innovative character of the identified practices.

Practices were categorized as follows:

• Good Practices: Initiatives demonstrating cooperation between two or more sectors and reporting outcomes with evidence of achievements.

  
  

• Very Good Practices: Initiatives fulfilling the good practice criteria and additionally specifying whether cooperation is public or private, implemented within Europe, and demonstrating both impact (through qualitative or quantitative indicators) and sustainability (lasting at least 10 years).

  
  

• Innovative Practices: Initiatives meeting both good and very good criteria while incorporating a technological, methodological, or social innovation component.

A total of 122 good practices were collected among 8 partner organizations with guidelines and description of each category. All were categorized as good (100% [122]), 44 as very good (36.07% [44]), and 36 as innovative (29.51% [36]). Among the good practices, 90.98% [111] reported impact, and 40.98% [50] met the sustainability criteria.

All practices provided information on partnership type. Most were Public & Private (50.8% [62]), followed by Public (43.4% [53]), with Private representing the smallest share (5.7% [7]).

Innovation was present in 82% of good practices [100], with the most common intersection being methodological and social (32.8% [40]). The least frequent intersection was technological and social, while implementing all three components together occurred in 13.1% [16] of initiatives.

The primary target group was all age groups (36.1% [44]), with fewer initiatives focused on infants (0–1) and toddlers (1–3). Predominant intersections were children (5–12) with adolescents (13–18) and young adults (19–25), and adults (26–64) with older adults (65+) (see Annex 3). This reflects the focus on settings such as schools, workplaces, and care homes, promoting community engagement and empowerment rather than targeting single age bands.

Most practices were implemented in Europe (87.7% [107]), with smaller shares worldwide (7.4% [9]), in North America (2.5% [3]), Asia, Africa & Europe (0.8% [1]), South America (0.8% [1]), and Oceania (0.8% [1]) (see Annex 4). European practices dominate, consistent with the project’s focus on cross-sectoral initiatives within Europe.

Analysis within Europe shows that most practices operate at the national level, with cross-country initiatives decreasing in number. This likely reflects challenges in aligning social systems, policy implementation, and cultural contexts. The co-occurrence matrix indicates stronger cooperation for Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, with relative isolation for Switzerland, Lithuania, and Estonia (see Annex 6). Italy demonstrates both a high number of projects and substantial cooperation with other countries, whereas Switzerland, despite contributing a notable number of projects, shows minimal interaction.

Sector analysis shows the highest representation in Physical Activity, Exercise & Sports (100% [122]), Health (90.2% [110]), and Community (54.9% [67]), with the lowest in Culture & Arts (see Annex 7). Physical Activity, Exercise & Sports shows the strongest collaboration with Health (90.2% [110]), Community (54.9% [67]), and Education (40.2% [49]). Culture & Arts exhibits the weakest cooperation .

In summary, the analysis of 122 good practices shows that while all initiatives met the good practice criteria, only about one-third were very good, and fewer than one-third were innovative. Most demonstrated measurable impact, but less than half achieved sustainability. Partnerships were predominantly Public and Public & Private, and innovation often combined methodological and social elements. Most practices targeted multiple age groups and were implemented within Europe, with notable leadership from countries such as Italy and Germany. Cross-sector collaboration was strongest among Health, Physical Activity, and Community sectors, highlighting both strengths and gaps in promoting healthy lifestyles across Europe.