A key component of the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals is to reduce one-third of premature mortality by increasing physical activity levels. To achieve this target, we need concrete evidence from low and middle income country (LMIC) settings to inform policy decision: population based policies that encourage multisectoral engagement with health as its goal; and education among population and health care providers to encourage uptake of physical activity.

Despite huge evidence on its benefits, promotion of physical activity in LMICs gathers little attention. The epidemiological transition and economic growth of the countries in addition to mechanization of work and transport and urbanization has led to a steady increase in sedentary lifestyles and decline in physical activity levels. Non-communicable diseases cause 41 million deaths annually in these countries, of which 15 million are premature (2018). Research data from LMICs on physical activity are very low. Available data shows that although the levels of activity are not alarming in these countries, they are derived mostly from work or active transport. The majority of sample include people working in labor intensive occupations and people who walk to places of interest due to lack of public or private modes of transport. Leisure time activity differs by occupation and income and the motivations for uptake of physical activity are health and body image. Major barriers to physical activity are social norms especially for women, perceived expected behavior from girls, family priorities, time constraints, weather, affordability and accessibility, low self-efficacy, and motivation.

Through this collection we encourage authors to submit research on evidence from LMICs to help us learn about the scope of physical activity in health promotion in these countries where most healthcare advice is around medicines and rest. We would like to explore how we can develop a dialogue around strategies where development policies can include multi-sectoral engagement such as health and urban infrastructure planning aligned to SDGs such as: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages (SDG3); empower women and girls (SDG5), to promote inclusion and reduce inequality (SDG10) and sustainable cities and communities (SDG 11) through physical activity promotion. This evidence may range from conceptual frameworks, literature review, and original research. This will help to develop strong evidence for action with specific recommendations.

The collection will contribute to evolving the science and evidence around physical activity research in LMICs to inform the design of policy-relevant and contextually-appropriate interventions in promoting physical activity. Specific themes that can be contributed are (but not limited to):

• Evidence on data regarding active travel: patterns and motivations;

• Measurement of built environment in LMICs: Specific issues with sampling and measurement in LMICs;

• Urban Development with or without health in the context of SDGs-Policy and advocacy for healthy cities;

• Education and promotion of physical activity among health workers and rural populations;

• Perceptions about physical activity and the role of media in promoting physical activity; and

• Health, fitness, and appearance as major motivations for physical activity participation in LMICs.

We would like to acknowledge Dr. Shalini Garg, SCTIMST, who prepared the proposal for this Research Topic, and Dr. Wei Liu, Xi'an Jiaotong University, who are acting as Research Topic coordinators.

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