Mapping the ‘lifelong journey’ of physical literacy: a biographical assessment method for the physical activity and health context

Physical literacy (PL) describes individuals’ unique relationship with physical activity by integrating physical, cognitive, affective, and social aspects. The person-centered concept highlights a ‘lifelong journey’ for each individual and postulates beneficial effects on biopsychosocial health. Despite extensive suggestions on how to assess the concept, no instrument has so far sufficiently aligned with these ‘individual journeys’ for PL. Therefore, the goal of this conceptual article is to introduce the biographical PL mapping (BMAP-PL) as a purposive, flexible, and paradigmatically open method for the broad physical activity and health context. Intending to provoke individual narratives by plotting domain-driven courses across the lifespan, the BMAP-PL involves four sequential phases guided by a trained facilitator: (a) introduction and overview; (b) personalization and registration of life events; (c) evaluation and biographical visualization of PL dimensions; (d) final overview. The idiosyncratic courses can undergo both qualitative and quantitative analysis, including a potential for synthetic integration. Qualitative analyses can span the identification of life events, transition phenomena, domain-differential analyses, and inter-individual patterns via narrative analysis, thematic analysis, typological analysis, or the grounded theory approach. We suggest quantitative analyses with descriptive and inferential statistical potential on the intra-individual, inter-individual, and group/population level. Given the profound cognitive engagement with the complex behavior of physical activity, BMAP-PL allows for a smooth transition to interventional endeavors (e.g. self-exploration of identity facets, prospective projections, goal setting). The application of the method has value for both research and practice but is based on requirements on the personal and atmospheric level. Emphasizing the need to complement the conceptual ideas through empirical data, we conclude by outlining an agenda for future activities.