Enhancing the Subjective Wellbeing of Young Women in Balkans through Physical Activity Interventions: Implementations, Effects and Lessons Learned

Despite growing recognition of gender disparities in health research and policy, young women’s subjective well-being (SWB) and physical activity (PA) remain insufficiently ad-dressed, particularly in socio-culturally diverse regions such as the Balkans. This study aims to evaluate the development, implementation, and outcomes of PA interventions conducted in five cities: Athens (Greece), Bucharest (Romania), Niš (Serbia), Štip (North Macedonia), and Plovdiv (Bulgaria), using a mixed-methods multiple-case study ap-proach. The target group consisted of 341 young women aged 18–30 who shifted their mobility behavior from non-active to active modes. Results indicate increased active mo-bility, improved self-reported health status, and positive changes in nutrition habits—especially in Serbia, North Macedonia, and Bulgaria. However, challenges such as partic-ipant motivation, ineffective digital communication, and socio-cultural norms limiting women’s participation were identified. The effectiveness of the interventions varied across countries, underscoring the importance of culturally responsive and flexible program de-sign. Lessons learned emphasize the value of targeted outreach, hybrid delivery formats, and sustained stakeholder collaboration. This study provides actionable recommenda-tions for the design and implementation of scalable, gender-sensitive health promotion in-itiatives in complex regional contexts.