Health behavior change programmes are designed to improve individual health behaviour (e. g. physical activity). But who takes part in these programmes? This issue of GBE kompakt shows with representative data for Germany which population groups make use of health behaviour change programmes. In addition the authors Susanne Jordan and Elena von der Lippe present which factors promote participation in these programmes. The analyses are based on data from the »German Health Update« (GEDA) study published by the Robert Koch Institute in 2009.